Soundtrack of My Love
by liz9646
Summary: Set after Pitch Perfect 2. A different take on the typical Bechloe AU. Beca's job exposes her to celebrities, one in particular changes her life. This transitional story is fictional. I do not own any of the characters, movies, books or songs depicted in this work. All of the lyrics are from real songs. Rated M for language and sexual themes. Reviews appreciated.
1. Quinn MacKenzie

Quinn MacKenzie fronted the band Firestorm. With Quinn's smooth and low alto vibrato, the band had gradually gained notoriety until they dropped the single from their platinum-selling second album. Their cover of "Addicted to You" released a year ago, garnered industry accolades and launched them into stardom. They had been touring for the last six months and Quinn was tired. They had one more appearance at Madison Square Garden before returning to LA and a long needed break. They were scheduled to perform at this year's Grammys when "Addicted to You" was nominated for "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance". Quinn didn't think they had a prayer of winning. The competitors included a Rihanna/Drake collaboration, and The Chainsmokers.

Touring for her had become something to endure, and although she and Firestorm were forever grateful to their fans, she thought of it as something they _had_ to do rather than what they _wanted_ to do. It was also lonely and sometimes boring. Long stretches of waiting around between performances, catching a plane at midnight for the next tour stop, or chartering a bus if it was close enough.

It didn't hurt their success that Firestorm was an all-female pop/rock group and that they were all lesbians. "Addicted to You" hit the airwaves just as the lesbian chic trend was rising. Though there were numerous lesbian music stars over the years, notably Melissa Etheridge, KD Lang and the Indigo Girls, Firestorm's crossover appeal filled concert seats. The cliche "boys want to be them, girls want to be with them" was an understatement. Toward the end of the tour, security had to be significantly increased at their venues. In Dallas, Quinn had to be physically wrested from a screaming, crying 20-something that had firmly attached herself to Quinn's waist on stage. It truly rattled her, as she never thought of herself as any kind of "rock star". She just wanted to make music with her besties.

Although she was actually somewhat shy, on stage and in interviews she came off as vulnerable and approachable, but confident, with just a touch of swagger. People percieved her to be endearing and "real". Her smile and her laughter came easily enough, and her brand of humor fell between dry and sarcastic, but never snarky. She was passionate about her music and LGBTQ issues, and it came through whenever she had the opportunity to talk about either. Her voice was lower on the female vocal register, and sometimes raspy, depending on how much singing or drinking she had been doing in the last 24 hours. It was a sexy speaking voice, her singing voice even more so.

Quinn was nearly obsessive about keeping her private life private. Though she willingly and openly discussed her sexual orientation, she would not discuss her social life. At all. She was known to have walked out of more than one interview if any question about it came up. As a result, two things generally happened: 1) her friends were hounded about her private life, and 2) the tabloids and entertainment outlets just made things up. Her friends knew not to say anything or face Quinn's wrath, or the loss of her friendship or both. They all referred the interviewer back to Quinn for answers, and of course, she never answered. The media had her linked to everyone from princesses to pop stars to presidential candidates. It was patently ridiculous. She was literally never seen in public without her bandmates. When the paps with their long-range telephoto lenses tried to catch her doing something (anything), invariably they got a candid shot, but she was always alone.

The truth was that Quinn _was_ alone, single and alone. She hadn't dated anyone in nearly two years, since before Firestorm's rise to fame. She had two issues with dating. The first was that she didn't feel it would be fair to the other party. Her schedule and fame were not condusive to developing, let alone maintaining, any kind of healthy romantic relationship. Secondly, she didn't really trust anyone in or around the entertainment industry. They all had some kind of an agenda. Hollywood was, well, Hollywood. Nothing about it was genuine or sincere. Or true for that matter.

She knew that she had a lot to offer the right someone. She was a hopeless romantic, and unafraid to express how she felt. She knew she had the capacity to love deeply. She wasn't necessarily afraid of getting her heart broken, but she didn't want it to happen for the wrong reasons. If she and her partner split because of personal incompatibility, or life changing events driving them apart, that was one thing. But to be shattered by betrayal was something else altogether.

And, of course, love and sex were entirely different things, at least in Quinn's eyes they were. She was a highly sexual individual, just hitting her prime. She was comfortable in her own skin and proud to be an out lesbian. Her obvious sexuality came through on stage, only adding fuel to the "personal life" enigma. People couldn't understand how anyone so blatantly sexy could possibly be alone. It was like oil and water. "Single and sexy" made sense, "alone and sexy" didn't. Hence the media belief that there _had_ to be _someone_ she was fucking. Of course, Quinn had needs like anyone else. She did what she could to keep things under control, but there were times her libido simply would not allow another night with her vibrator. On those nights, she needed to hold someone, to taste them, breathe them in. On those nights, she would find some obscure gay bar, usually far from LA, and have anonymous sex with someone she picked up.

One requirement was that they had to be single. Of course she had no way of knowing if they were lying, but at least she asked. And they had to be okay with her not saying much. There wasn't ever any deep meaningful conversation, sometimes no conversation at all. No small talk over coffee in the morning, she was gone as soon as the deed was done. That was if she went home with them at all. There were many bathroom stall trysts and back alley liasons. Surprisingly, she was seldom recognized. She simply covered her white-blonde locks with a backwards ball cap or hoodie. Seen completely out of context from her public persona, people tended to doubt what their first impression told them. If anyone mentioned that they thought she looked a little like Quinn MacKenzie, she simply scoffed, looked at them like they were crazy, and walked off.

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Addicted to You - sung by Audra Mae; produced by Avicii, Arash Pournouri; written by Bergling, Davis, Krajcik, Pournouri


	2. Grammys

The six of them had VIP tickets to the Grammys. Of course they did. Emily's hit "Flashlight" had been nominated for "Record of the Year". They were seated three rows back, near the right/center aisle, Emily and Benji, then Jesse and Beca, finally Chloe and Tom. Emily and Beca had to be there, as artist and producer of "Flashlight". When they were awarded six tickets, Emily and Beca agreed that, as a Bella co-captain, Chloe and her date should round out the group.

All of the men were wearing black tie, of course, but the women's fashions were much more edgy and interesting. It was the Grammys after all. Emily wore a white, shoulderless floor-length dress. It's fitted bodice and slit up one side showed off all of her assets, including her knee-high purple boots. Beca wore a chic black and white checked mens-styled jacket and pants with a revealing black lace strapless top and pink heels. Chloe wore a black patterned sleeveless mini with over the knee boots.

The house lights dimmed signaling the start of the awards show. Opening was the pop/rock band Firestorm. They had just come off a successful tour promoting their platinum-selling sophomore album. All five members, all women, all lesbian, opened with their cover of "Addicted to You", which had been nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" category. Typically Firestorm did not open with the very intense and sexual song, but they had no choice tonight.

Dressed in a black leather biker jacket, partially zipped (with absolutely nothing underneath it), skin-tight black leather pants, black knee high boots and a wide silver studded belt, their front woman, the stunning Quinn MacKenzie, stood center stage, right at the edge. She looked every bit the "rock star".

If you Googled "hot lesbians", Quinn's image would be in the top ten. She was tall, standing 5'10" in her bare feet. Not WNBA tall, but tall enough, especially in heeled boots. Slim, strong and athletic, it was her coloring that was striking. Born in the US, she was of Scottish/Swedish/Brazilian ancestry and got the best qualities of those ethnicities. Naturally dark-skinned, she looked like she had a perpetual late-summer tan, but her hair was very blonde, nearly white, and her eyes dark brown, almost black. Her hair was cut short but shaggy, always looking like it had been tousled (think Shane McCutcheon). She had high prominent cheek bones, a strong jaw line and big wide-set eyes. When she smiled, it was the kind of smile that touched those brown eyes. She'd likely have crows feet when she got older, but right now in her mid-twenties, those were far off. She also sported a deep dimple on her left cheek, making her grin appear a little lopsided at certain angles and her smirk even more so. Perfectly straight teeth, thanks to her childhood orthodontist, gleamed and contrasted with her dark skin, making them seem impossibly white. She didn't think of herself as hot, she thought of herself as average looking.

Quinn was known to have a habit of opening her set by finding the most attractive woman in the first few rows and singing directly to her, seldom breaking eye contact during the first song. It was fun, she enjoyed it and, on occasion, it amped up the intensity she felt while performing. Of course her fans swooned or squirmed at this and were regularly recorded doing so for future promotional footage. Due to the lighting, Quinn could only see the first few rows of the venue. That was nothing new to her. Although she had a lot of beautiful and famous women to choose from on this night, she quickly identified her target and dropped her head as the songs' intro began.

The audience hushed and Quinn's rich voice sang the desperate lyrics as her eyes locked on Beca Mitchell:

 _I don't know just how it happened,_

 _I let down my guard,_

 _Swore I'd never fall in love again,_

 _But I fell hard_

Beca knew about Firestorm, about how Quinn opened a set, knew they were all gay and enjoyed their music very much. She had no clue that she would be the focus of Quinn's attention. As the nationally televised cameras swung to pick up her reaction, she visibly blushed all the way from her cleavage to her ears. Not wanting to be in any promotional footage, she determined she had to play this cool, though she grabbed Chloe's hand. She decided to play along, subtley, and didn't break eye contact with Quinn, not that she wanted to. Quinn was gorgeous, Quinn was intense, Quinn was singing to her.

 _Guess I shoud've seen it coming,_

 _Caught me by surprise,_

 _I wasn't looking where I was going,_

 _I fell into your eyes_

It was all Beca could do to maintain that gaze. She locked onto Quinn's striking deep eyes and held them, barely breathing. Hyper-aware that all of this was being broadcast nationally, likely on split screen, Beca didn't move.

 _You came into my crazy world_

 _Like a cool and cleansing wave,_

 _Before I, I knew what hit me baby_

 _You were flowing through my veins_

Quinn was not accustomed to her antics having absolutely no effect on her chosen victim. While she held Beca's eyes, she decided that, what the hell, this is the Grammys, let's turn up the heat. She took a few steps to her left to stand directly in front of Beca, three rows back.

 _I'm addicted to you,_

 _Hooked on your love,_

 _Like a powerful drug_

 _I can't get enough of,_

 _Lost in your eyes,_

 _Drowning in blue,_

 _Out of control,_

 _What can I do?_

 _I'm addicted to you!_

Beca watched her move across the stage, swallowing hard. _Oh god, she thought, please don't come down the aisle._ When Quinn stopped on stage right in front of her, she let herself exhale. People in the rows in front of her were turning to see who Quinn was singing to. She wanted to hide under the seats, but opted to let a small smirk cross her lips as though this kind of attention happened to her every day. She had Chloe's hand in a vice grip.

 _Midnight blows in through the window,_

 _Dances round the room,_

 _Got me hypnotized,_

 _I'm getting high on your perfume_

Quinn held one hand out, palm up, clearly gestering at Beca. She returned Beca's smirk with one of her own, knowing full well that this would register on camera as some kind of inside joke the two were sharing. Beca licked her lips and took a deep breath. With that, Quinn dropped to her knees on stage, clearly begging Beca with the lyrics.

 _I couldn't live without you now,_

 _Oh, I know I'd go insane,_

 _I wouldn't last one night alone baby,_

 _I couldn't stand the pain!_

Beca inhaled sharply. She felt like she was being seduced, and successfully at that. Her gut twisted and her throat constricted, mouth going dry. _Jesus, she thought, what the fuck?_

 _I'm addicted to you,_

 _Hooked on your love,_

 _Like a powerful drug_

 _I can't get enough of,_

 _Lost in your eyes,_

 _Drowning in blue,_

 _Out of control,_

 _What can I do?_

 _I'm addicted to you!_

Quinn rocked back on her heels and stood, winked at Beca and blew her a kiss. Beca, determined to continue this charade, pretended to catch the kiss and put it to her heart. Quinn grinned wide at that, enjoying the back and forth of the interaction with this beautiful stranger. She bowed to the audience applause and exited the stage with her band. The Grammys went to commercial.

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Flashlight - sung by Hailee Steinfeld; written by Furler, Guzman, Moore, Smith; produced by Kurstin, Harrell


	3. Afterparty

After Firestorm's performance, Beca let herself relax. Jesse leaned to whisper to her.

"Wow, that was kinda intense." he grinned.

"Ya think?" Beca rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Are you okay?"

"I will be if none of that ends up on 'Entertainment Tonight'."

She had let go of Chloe's hand, but Chloe was looking at her, trying to decipher what effect the performance had had on Beca. When Beca met her gaze, there was a look of concern and confusion on Chloe's face.

Chloe knew Beca so well that she knew her reaction had been more than initial embarassment. She had been somewhat shocked when Beca boldly decided to play along with Quinn MacKenzie's little public game. But she had also recognized that moment of sexual tension that had passed between the two, having experienced it numerous times herself with Beca. She knew Beca was straight, as she herself was, but they had always had this "thing", a chemistry she hadn't shared with any other woman.

"Beca?"

"I'm okay, Chlo."

"Are you sure?"

While Chloe didn't think of Beca in "that way", she sure as hell didn't want Beca to feel something for another woman. That belonged to her and her alone. If Beca was ever going to be with another woman sexually, she was certain it would be her. And though neither of them pursued those sometimes inexplicable feelings, Chloe felt a little possessive in that moment. Especially with Beca squeezing her hand like it would keep her from drowning.

Beca looked up at her with a look Chloe couldn't quite understand. There was a little fear in her eyes, a lot of gratitude for Chloe's presence and something else. Arousal?

"Chloe I'm fine."

Chloe dropped it but something continued to nag at her the rest of the show. Beca was unusually quiet, given the excitement of the night. She outwardly appeared to enjoy the remainder of the event, but Chloe caught her on more than one occasion lost in her own thoughts, oblivious to what was going on on stage.

Neither "Flashlight" nor "Addicted to You" won in their respective categories. As the night wound down to a close, the group was scheduled to attend an after party they had been invited to. It was important to Beca's career that she be seen at these things. She had been offered and accepted a contract to work for Residual Heat at their recent west coast expansion office. She was moving to LA (finally) in two weeks, leaving Jesse, Chloe, the Bellas and Barden behind. Of course they all promised to stay in touch, and frankly, they all were moving on after graduation.

Residual Heat had provided both transportation and lodging for the group, so as they exited Madison Square Garden, a limo was waiting. They were headed to the Grammys Celebration, an official awards afterparty at the Marriott Marquis hotel, a few blocks away, across from Times Square. They were all booked into suites at the hotel as well.

As they entered the hotel, they were shown into the massive Broadway Ballroom and there were easily 1,000 people there. Waiters and bars were everywhere, state of the art audio-visual systems were replaying portions of the Grammys on multiple huge HDTV's, high on the walls. They were immediately approached by a waiter, asking if they'd like a cocktail. They placed their orders and began to gravitate toward the edge of the crowd, angling for a bar they spotted with open seating nearby. When they got there, their waiter returned with their drinks. There was an open table for four and a couple open barstools. Chloe, Tom, Emily and Benji chose the table, Beca and Jesse claiming stools but standing for the time being. Beca needed a drink, they all did. The excitement of the night was becoming a little overwhelming.

No sooner had Beca finished her second vodka tonic, feeling a nice buzz settling in, when a third was placed on the bar in front of her. She looked at the bartender quizzically because she hadn't yet asked for a third and picked up the drink. The bartender nodded to someone behind her, "Courtesy of your friend, Miss."

Beca took a sip and turned to face none other than her on-stage antagonist. Even in her four inch pink heels, Quinn towered over her. Still in her black leather, Quinn gave her a half smile, "I came over to apologize, I'm Quinn MacKenzie". Beca looked up into impossibly dark eyes that sparkled in the ballroom lighting. She thought only Chloe's eyes could sparkle like that.

Her breath hitched a little but she quickly regained her composure. "Um, uh...no apologies necessary. I'm Beca Mitchell, these are my friends, Jesse, Emily, Benji, Chloe and Tom." They were all watching what was happening in some state of surprize, all a little star-struck. Except Chloe. Chloe had all kinds of warning bells going off in her head.

Quinn's expression softened. "I hope I didn't embarass you or make you feel uncomfortable". She was assuming correctly that Beca was straight and might have been offended at the unsolicited attention Quinn had given her during the performance. "It's all just part of our act, really. It was good of you to play along"

Beca was a little deflated at that remark. She didn't really think that Quinn found her attractive, but she had, after all, chosen Beca to sing to. And hell, Beyonce was closer to the stage. Beca found her voice. "No, I wasn't at all offended, it was fun." She was saying what was appropriate, what she thought Quinn wanted to hear. Instead of what she wanted to say, which was either _"Where the hell do you get off dude? It was live TV!"_ or _"Jesus, you're tall, and sexy, and holy fuck your eyes are dark!"_

Quinn gave her the brilliant, dimple-showing lop-sided smile then. And Beca thought she saw, ever so briefly, Quinn look down to her lips, then back to her eyes. "It was very good to meet you Beca Mitchell...and friends," she gestured to the group, "Enjoy the rest of your evening." With that, she was gone.

Beca exhaled. And sat down heavily on the bar stool. She guessed she had been a little star-struck as well, since her knees were inexplicably weak. She glanced over at Chloe, and was hit with just a tinge of guilt. Chloe was studying her, intently, one eyebrow cocked with a look that said _"what the fuck was that Mitchell?"_ Beca shook her head slightly, as if to answer Chloe that she didn't know what that was, but it meant nothing. After a few more drinks over a couple hours of blatant celebrity watching, the group headed to their respective suites.

They were all on the same floor, but several doors apart from each other. As they walked down the hallway, they came to Jesse and Beca's room first. Beca hugged Emily, Benji and Tom goodnight, deliberately saving Chloe for last, as she almost always did. As she gathered Chloe into her arms, smelling the familiar scent that was pure Chloe, she rested her head on Chloe's shoulder, needing to feel comforted by her, letting her know in her non-verbal way that everything was all right, they were alright. Chloe got the message and placed a sweet kiss on Beca's temple. "See ya in the morning. Sleep tight." she smiled her dazzling smile at Beca and turned to find her room with Tom.

Jesse opened their door and Beca headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed. She removed her makeup, scrubbed her face and brushed her teeth, reviewing all that had happened that night. She thought first about Chloe, hoping that her friend wasn't too upset about the shenanigans with Quinn MacKenzie. There was really nothing to be upset about. Sure, Chloe probably read right through Beca's reaction to a couple of those moments, but Beca didn't expect to ever meet Quinn again. Chloe tended to be a little overprotective sometimes, though Beca knew it was just because Chloe cared about her.

Her thoughts turned to Jesse, as she crawled into bed beside him. He drew her close, holding her from behind, being the "big spoon". He kissed her lightly on her neck as he nuzzled closer. "Goodnight Becaw." he whispered.

"Good night Jess." she answered. Their relationship was fizzling out, and had been for a while. They hadn't had sex in several months and Beca didn't really miss it. She loved Jesse in a way, and knew he loved her too, but there wasn't any spark between them, if there had ever been. It was just easy with Jesse, comfortable, familiar...expected. Maybe they were drifting apart emotionally because they both knew they would be physically apart soon. After all, Beca was moving to LA and Jesse had a scholarship to NYU for his Master's degree in film production. She intended to have "the talk" with him as soon as they got back to Barden. She hoped they could remain friends.

As she drifted off to sleep, her mind turned back to Quinn. She wondered why Quinn had singled her out in the first place, why she felt the need to apologize to Beca. Not that it mattered much. She thought about how she felt when Quinn sang to her, looked at her, smiled at her. She guessed she just had a little celebrity crush. She dreamed that night of black leather and brown eyes.


	4. Back to LA

Quinn left the afterparty early in the morning and made her way up to her suite in the hotel. All in all, it had been a successful night, in spite of the fact Firestorm didn't win a Grammy. Quinn was glad the whole thing was over. As she made her way down the hallway to her room, she knew she really needed a break and was looking forward to being back in LA.

Once inside her suite, she stripped off all the black leather. Jumping into the shower, grabbing her toothbrush on the way, Quinn let the warm water run over her body, leaning her head on the cold tile. It felt good to let all the "rock star" vibe go down the drain. It wasn't who she was. Keeping up that persona in public was wearing her down.

Her mind drifted back to the "Addicted to You" performance. That had been fun, especially when that cute little brunette ( _what was her name again?_ ) had given her some of her own medicine. She towled off and remembered she had to be up early, her flight back to LA was scheduled to depart at 9:20am. Once in bed, she fell into dreamless sleep, mostly from exhaustion.

Her cell phone alarm went off at 5:00am, she'd only had three hours sleep. It didn't matter really, she'd sleep during the flight. If all went according to plan, she'd be back in LA by lunch and home by 1:00pm Pacific time. She picked up an email from her manager asking to text her as soon as she got in. She dressed down in torn jeans slung low on her hips, a black T shirt, tucked only at the belt buckle, black Chucks and her black leather jacket. She threw on mirrored aviators and was catching a cab to LaGuardia in no time.

Quinn's black Escalade drove through the gate of her Los Feliz home at 1:10pm. The driver opened her door then proceeded to bring in her luggage. Carmen, her housekeeper/cook and Felix, her groundskeeper/handyman met her at the door. The married couple stayed in the guest house and made sure everything was taken care of when Quinn was away. Her home had been built in 1925, a Mediterranean style house sitting high on a hillside on an acre of land. The long driveway had a double gate, the property had a privacy wall surrounding it, and of course, state of the art security. The six bedroom, five bath home had rich wood, wrought iron and oversized windows throughout. To Quinn it was her sanctuary. Her favorite spaces were the rooftop deck where she had a fantastic view of downtown LA and the salt water infinity pool. She dropped onto the nearest sofa and texted her manager.

Quinn: _Hey Bobbi. What's going on?_

Roberta Martinez-Quesada had been Quinn's manager since the band had formed.

Bobbi: _I need to meet you in my office. An opportunity has come up that I think you'll be interested in._

Quinn: _Okay, why can't we discuss it now?_

Bobbi: _It would take too long, besides it's a surprise._

Quinn: _I don't like surprises, especially in business._

Bobbi: _Trust me, I think you're going to like this one._

Quinn huffed: _Okay, Ill come down in the morning, but it better be good._

Passing through the kitchen on her way to the pool-side deck, Carmen handed Quinn a scotch over ice, just what she needed. "Thanks, Carmen." she smiled, loving the way her housekeeper knew all her quirks and eccentricities. Quinn connected her iPod to the WiFi and dialed up one of her favorite playlists. The music filtered through the audio system of the house and she settled in on a chaise to relax with her eyes closed.

By 7:00pm, Quinn was restless and edgy. She knew what she wanted, needed really. She pulled her Jeep out of the garage and headed to MO's, a gay bar in San Diego. She got there a little after 10:00pm, just in time for the place to start rocking. She grabbed a double scotch at the bar (likely to nurse it all night) and planted herself against a wall, close to the dance floor, where she could watch the crowd. She had on black skinny jeans, a white tank (no bra), a black short-cut military style jacket with four silver buttons on each side slanting from the shoulder to the opening and black knee high boots. She covered her blonde hair with a black straw fedora.

It wasn't long before she caught the eye of a cute 20-something dancing with two other women. She wore a sleeveless sun dress, white, short skirt and fuck-me red heels. The girl was obviously staring and when Quinn locked on her gaze, she blushed and diverted her eyes, but only momentarily. She looked back in Quinn's direction and Quinn gave her a half smirk, knowing the game had begun. Two songs and another cocktail later, she approached Quinn with a smile. "Hey" she grinned, "see anything you like?" Quinn nearly rolled her eyes at that.

"Where's your girlfriend?" Quinn asked.

"Oh, I don't have one. "

"Enjoying your evening?"

"Um, I could be." replied the girl, blatantly flirting. Quinn took both her hands and pulled her to within an inch of her mouth, then waited. The girl glanced back and forth between Quinn's eyes and her mouth, clearly wanting to be kissed, so Quinn obliged. She intended for the kiss to be tentative, brief, trying to see how far this chick wanted to go, but the girl melted into her, shoving her tongue in Quinn's mouth as if she was the last lesbian on earth.

Quinn led her out the back door, through the fenced-in patio and around the corner to a dark spot between buildings. She had been there before. Spinning the stranger around and pushing her into a wall, she pinned her with a deeper kiss. The girl was panting now, moaning. Quinn lifted one of her legs and hooked it over her own hip, opening this girl to all kinds of possibilities. Reaching under her skirt, Quinn slid her hand down under elastic. Ms. Stranger was ready. Quinn entered with two fingers and no warning. She pumped hard, pressing her thumb where it needed to be. It didn't take long, and when it was over, Quinn let her go. She leaned with her back to the opposite wall, facing her conquest. The stranger took two steps toward Quinn and dropped to her knees, reaching for the button on Quinn's jeans. Quinn let her.


	5. Goodbyes

It was Beca's last day at Barden. They had graduated a few days ago, had their last alcohol-fueled party to celebrate, and she was scheduled to catch a plane to LA in three hours. She had talked to Jesse last week about their relationship, as planned. It actually had gone better than she expected. Jesse seemed genuinely relieved, probably because he felt about her like she did about him and he didn't want to be the one to bring it up. She initiated the conversation which let him off the hook. They agreed to remain friends and let each other go. All of the Bellas were already gone too. They had said their tearful goodbyes and promised to plan a reunion soon. All of them except Chloe.

Chloe had planned to be the last to leave the Bella house so she could spend a little time alone with Beca. Now their time was drawing short, Beca had to leave within the hour, and Chloe was a mess. She had been crying off and on since graduation, but as each of the Bellas departed, her tears flowed more regularly until she was crying more often than not.

The previous night she had asked Beca to stay with her, in her bed. They had cuddled up close, just holding on to each other until the sun came up. Beca was struggling with their imminent separation too. She had tried her best to hold back her own tears the last few days, for Chloe's sake, but they spilled over anyway.

Beca put the last of her things into her carry-on and drug it downstairs to the front door, putting it with the rest of her luggage. Chloe was in the kitchen, her back to Beca, standing at the counter with her head down. Beca watched as she stood there, taking ragged breaths and trying not to breakdown completely. Beca came up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder, hoping to comfort her a little. "Chlo...?"

Chloe turned to face her. Her brilliant blue eyes met Beca's, tears uncontrollable now. She threw her arms around Beca's neck and sobbed into her shoulder. Beca was crying too. She held Chloe close to her, feeling Chloe's body racked with the pain of the coming departure. Beca put her forehead on Chloe's shoulder, trying to find the right words. They knew that they would see each other again, this wasn't goodbye forever. So why did Beca feel like it was? Chloe was her rock, her foundation when things went sideways. She didn't know what she was going to do when Chloe wasn't in her life every day. She pushed Chloe back a little so she could look into those beautiful, tear-filled eyes.

"Chlo, it's going to be okay. I'll text you when I land and call you as soon as I get to my new place. We can Skype whenever we need to, and I promise to see you at least once a year when we can plan it. I'm not leaving you Chloe, I need you in my life."

Chloe held her breath while Beca spoke to her. She felt like the better part of her was being torn away. They had been so close for so long that Chloe couldn't wrap her head around not having Beca nearby. She held Beca's face in her hands, brushing tears away with her thumbs, and pulled her in. Beca let her. Their lips met, for the first time, tenderly, softly. It was brief, but they lingered, foreheads pressed together, tears streaming. When Beca's taxi beeped outside, they walked to the door hand in hand. Beca let the driver in to retrieve the luggage she was checking. She grabbed her carry-on, slinging it over one shoulder and turned to face Chloe. "You know I love you, Chlo."

Chloe did her best to give Beca that brilliant Beale smile. "I love you too, Becs." she whispered.


	6. Going Solo

Beca had been in LA two weeks. She had finally finished unpacking and her small apartment was a little sparse but she did her best to make it feel like home. There were pictures scattered about, most of the Bellas at various performances. One, of just her and Chloe, sat on the nightstand in her bedroom. In it Chloe was hugging her during the the last "Hood" night by the Treblemakers pool.

She had talked to Chloe every day, sometimes twice, during the last two weeks. They had Skyped four times, too. It felt like they were holding on to each other and at the same time trying to let each other down easy from their forced separation. It was comforting and excruciating all at once.

She sat at one of the smaller mixing consoles, playing around with different beats when her boss, Sammy, walked in. Sammy had transfered to LA too, reasoning he could be closer to the big name music stars and help build Residual Heat's business. He took a seat across from Beca. She had, so far, worked with some new talent, but nothing had really piqued her interest.

"I've landed a major deal. I want you to work with her." Sammy stated.

"Really?" Beca said, "Who?"

"Quinn MacKenzie."

"Wait. What?"

"Yeah," Sammy grinned at her, "She's going solo. Firestorm broke up."

Beca stared at him, mildly shocked. It wasn't uncommon for groups to call it quits, especially after a grueling tour like Firestorm just had. But, shit, Quinn MacKenzie? That took her back a notch.

"I understand you two met at the Grammys?" Sammy asked,

"Uh, yeah, we did, briefly." Beca remembered. How could she forget _that_ little moment of her life. There was not only the embarrassing interaction between her and Quinn on national TV, there was that minute or two at the afterparty, when Quinn had come over to apologize. Quinn had made her feel stuff. Beca didn't like to feel stuff. Especially with a virtual stranger, and a woman at that.

"That's why I want you to handle this. Quinn has the potential to be just as big solo as Firestorm was. She still has a huge following." _I'll bet she has,_ thought Beca. She was pleased Sammy had so much trust in her, and excited for the opportunity to prove herself, but she was intimidated too, and kind of scared.

"When is she coming in for the initial meeting?"

"This afternoon, around 2:00pm."

 _Fuck,_ thought Beca, _I'm not ready for this._ "Uh, okay, I'll just talk to her and see what she has in mind."

Quinn had gone in to meet with her manager, Bobbi, the day after her side trip to San Diego. That had been two weeks ago. Now she was scheduled to meet with some rookie music producer to discuss her first solo album. She wasn't feeling it. Since Firestorm split, she wasn't inspired anymore. She was down in the dumps, and frankly, not totally convinced she wanted to continue on. She had made enough money to last her lifetime. She was tired of the stranger hookup bullshit, and she saw an opportunity to just become anonymous again and live a normal fucking life. But she was going anyway, Bobbi had made her promise. Quinn didn't break promises, but she rarely made them either. She decided to take her Mercedes AMG GT convertible. 500 horses should get her out of her funk. She headed for the freeway and the Residual Heat offices.

When she entered the building, she was met by a receptionist that showed her to the conference room. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll go fetch Beca." she said. Quinn noticed a small beverage center across the room. There was water, coffee, soft drinks in the small frig and a half empty bottle of Jack. Tossing some ice cubes in a solo cup, she was just pouring a couple fingers of Jack when she heard the door close.

"Beca, Quinn is here." she heard Maggie say as she gathered a pad and pen, preparing herself for the interview. _Guess it's now or never_ she thought, nervously acknowledging _never_ might be her preference. She walked down the hallway and entered the conference room, softly closing the door behind her.

Quinn turned to face the door and her scowl turned into a grin as she recognized the tiny brunette from the Grammys. "Hey, I know you." she smiled.

"Yeah, we've met before." replied Beca, trying to hide how sharply she had inhaled. She had forgotten how beautiful and intimidating Quinn was in the flesh. And she was surprised and inwardly pleased Quinn even remembered her. She took a tentative few steps forward and held out her hand, "Beca Mitchell."

Quinn closed the distance and shook her hand, grip firm, "Quinn MacKenzie." She virtually towered over Beca, causing her to tilt her head back to look into Quinn's eyes. Beca gestured to a seat at the conference table, trying to act the music producer professional. She didn't feel like one.

"Let's get started, " she said, assuming Quinn had other things to do besides spend an hour with Beca going over her vision for her first solo album. She took a seat beside Quinn, facing her. Quinn sat with her elbow on the table, Jack in the other hand, taking a sip. "Do you want to tell me what your thoughts are about this project?" Beca asked.

Quinn's eyes were downcast, thinking. "I can tell you what I don't want," she said looking up. Beca was immediately struck (again) with how dark those eyes were. "I don't want to do what I've been doing. I know it's probably expected of me, but I'm really sick of the whole "rock star" image. It's not who I really am. I'm tired of pretending it is."

Beca was taken back by the raw honesty in the confession and appreciated that Quinn was so open with her. The collaboration between artist and producer required solid communication, but it was also Beca's job to insure the project was commercially viable. "What about your fans?"

"You know what, I'm not really sure I want to do this at all. I don't really care if this thing sells. I don't plan on ever touring again, so fuck the fans. If I'm going to put something out there, it's going to be what I want to do, not what I have to do. It's not about the money." Quinn looked away, clearly fed up with the way her career had been going, though it was successful.

Beca thought a moment, considering what Quinn had said but trying to juggle profit numbers in her head. Residual Heat expected her to make money on her projects. "What about an EP, just to test the waters and see if what you want to do will work for both of us."

Quinn was staring out the conference room window. "I'm not opposed to that idea. I know you guys have skin in this game and need to make a profit." She took another sip of Jack, turning back to Beca. Quinn genuinely appreciated feminine beauty and she really looked at Beca this time, noting the uncommon shade of her blue eyes, perfect bow of her mouth, slight pink blush. She thought, just briefly, what it would be like to kiss her.

Beca looked away in that instant. "Why don't you put togther a list of covers, say 6 to 8 songs you think express what you're feeling. Email me your list and we can go from there," Beca suggested.

Just like that the interview was over, less than an hour. Quinn stood, stretched, making her seem even taller. She put both hands on her own hips and looked down at Beca. Beca stood too and looked up at her. Their eyes locked on each other, just a heartbeat or two. Beca broke the contact first, a little flushed. "Same time next week?"

Quinn slipped on her mirrored aviators. "Sure, sounds good." She gave Beca her lop-sided grin, one dimple visible. "Thanks, I 'm looking forward to working with you."

"Same here, " Beca managed to get out. "I'll see you to the door."

They walked to the front door and as Quinn passed through she turned, "Take care, okay? See ya next week." Beca watched her walk to the Mercedes in the lot, letting out a low whistle at the sight of the _very_ expensive car, or maybe it was directed at the driver, she couldn't be sure. Quinn made her feel stuff.


	7. Building It Up

Three days later, Beca was in the studio, rethinking the previous night. She and Chloe had Skyped each other and their conversation was unusually brief. Chloe had some kind of family thing to get to, or so she said. They confessed to how much they missed each other, even saying their "Love You's" when they ended the call, but it was starting to feel a little contrived. Beca felt like they were drifting apart already. She didn't like it one bit.

She opened her inbox to find an email from Quinn: _Hey, attached is a list of songs I'm feeling right now. Open to suggestions though. See ya next week._ Beca looked over the list of attachments. There were a list of songs, from all different genres and decades. From Pop to Country and back again, covering the sixties to current hits. _Jesus,_ she thought _, what am I supposed to do with this mess?_ Putting it into a cohesive EP that flowed was going to be a challenge. Then it struck her. The songs followed a pattern of sorts. Initial attraction, fear of falling in love, falling in love, then loss. Pain. Anger. The progression of a love affair gone wrong.

She emailed Quinn back: _Got your list. I'll start putting some tracks together that I think will work. Plan on starting with "Going Out of My Head" next week. See ya then._

The following Tuesday, Quinn strode into her office right on time. Rare for any star, let alone the rock star flavor, she thought. She appreciated it. Quinn seemed relaxed in her black vintage concert t-shirt, ripped jeans, black Doc Martens. "Ready to make some music?" Beca grinned.

Quinn pulled off her aviators, hooking them into her shirt collar and plopped down in a side chair. She leaned forward, elbows on her knees and ran her hands through her hair, then pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes closed. "Ready as I'll ever be," she sighed heavily. She had yet to make eye contact.

Beca wasn't sure what to say. Obviously Quinn wasn't into this. "Uh, we don't have to do this today if your not up to it. We can just talk things through if you want." She was concerned they weren't going to get off on the right foot with this project. Wasting studio time when the artist wasn't mentally present was expensive, it never really worked out.

Quinn looked up at her then, making eye contact and holding it, her gaze on Beca. Beca could see she was thinking things through, trying to decide whether to get in the booth or get in her car. After a minute, she snapped back, gave Beca a smirk. "Let's do this."

Quinn sauntered into the booth, sat on the stool in the small space, adjusted the mic and put the head phones on. Beca talked to her, "Do you want to warm up?"

"Nah, I sang all the way here. I should be good to go."

The arrangement Beca put together for the song was closer to the Luther Vandross version than the original. She also upped the tempo a little. She started the intro. Quinn closed her eyes, listening.

 _Well, I think I'm goin' out of my head_

 _Yeah, I think I'm goin' out of my head_

 _Over you, over you_

Quinn was in good voice today, Beca was glad she had decided to stay. She watched as Quinn started to get into the song, loving the old school vibe she was getting. Quinn opened her eyes then, sang directly to Beca, while she worked the sound board.

 _I want you to want me_

 _I need you so badly_

 _I can't think of anything but you_

Beca felt her heartbeat pick up it's own tempo. _Fuck,_ she thought _, why does she do this to me?_ It wasn't the lyrics, it wasn't the song. She'd heard this song hundreds of times by a slew of different artists. She never reacted to it much, though she did like the melody. It was the way Quinn looked at her while she sang. Quinn made it personal. It didn't help that she was so freaking sexy. Beca started to understand why Quinn had so many loyal fans, 90% of them female, both gay and straight.

Quinn broke eye contact and continued with the song. Beca took a deep breath, concentrating on the mixing board. When Quinn got to the bridge, she looked back to Beca, a small smile playing on her lips:

 _I must think of a way into your heart_

 _There's no reason why my being shy_

 _Should keep us apart_

 _And I think I'm goin' out of my head_

Beca didn't know if Quinn was flirting with her or just falling back into old performance habits from her Firestorm days. She found herself kind of hoping it was the former. They finished the song, only having to re-record a couple small sections.

"Do you want to start another track?" Quinn asked. She knew her voice was sounding good, things were flowing. "Um, what do you have ready to go?" she asked her.

Beca really didn't want her to leave just yet, but the only other track she'd had a chance to work on was "Wicked Game". Beca loved that song. It was so sensual, so emotional. And heartbreaking. "Do you feel up to 'Wicked Game'? It's the only other one I've got ready. Sort of."

Quinn stepped out of the booth. "How about a break first. I've got to get my head in the right place to do that song."

"Oh, yeah..sure." Beca was embarassed, she should have been the one to suggest it. "Can I get you anything?"

Quinn headed to the conference room, poured herself some Jack and sat on the conference room table. Beca had followed her and was on her way past to get something for herself when Quinn grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her in. Close. Beca inhaled sharply, their faces mere inches apart. She felt the heat rise in her, unsure what to do next. Quinn was looking into her eyes, deeply into her eyes, trying to gauge her reaction. Beca stared back, lost in the depth. Quinn framed her face, pulled her closer, and it happened. Beca felt electricity slam through her body as their lips met, soft, tender, vulnerable. It had lasted no more than a heartbeat or two.

Quinn pulled away, looking again into Beca's eyes, searching. Beca took a step back, watching Quinn watch her. Then she reacted on pure instinct, driven by the electricity and the heat. She laced her fingers through Quinn's hair and pulled her down into a searing kiss, her tongue brushing Quinn's bottom lip. It was Quinn's turn to be stunned. She broke the kiss, hopped down from the table, and drained her drink. Without looking back, she headed to the booth.

Beca was shaking. She leaned on the table, trying to understand what had just happened. If she couldn't decipher her own feelings, she certainly couldn't understand Quinn's. She took a deep ragged breath, composing herself, and went back to the sound board. Quinn was already in the booth, eyes down, waiting. Beca cued the intro to "Wicked Game". Quinn didn't look at her, she just began:

 _The world was on fire and no one could save me but you_

 _It's strange what desire will make foolish people do_

 _I'd never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you_

 _And I'd never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you_

 _No, I don't want to fall in love_

 _(this girl is only going to break your heart)_

 _No, I don't want to fall in love_

 _(this girl is only going to break your heart_

 _With you_

 _With you_

 _(this girl is only going to break your heart)_

Quinn's voice in Beca's headphones was haunting, pure. She felt the pain in the melody, the lyrics, the pain in Quinn. It came through the song like a lightening bolt, blistering the space around them. When the song finished, Quinn exited the booth and stood in front of the sound board, facing Beca. "I'll see you next week," she said, flat, unemotional. She walked out.

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Goin' Out of My Head - written by Randazzo, Weinstein

Wicked Game - written by Isaak; produced by Jacobsen


	8. Higher

It had been three days. Three confusing, frustrating days. Beca still hadn't sorted it all out. She was angry, terrified, aching.

Her anger was fueled by the way Quinn had just left after their "incident". How dare she just walk out after that. Beca wasn't a toy, or some crazy fan. She had no right to kiss her like that and then act like it hadn't happened. She was angry with herself, too. Maybe if she had exercised just a little control, not kissed Quinn back, maybe things would have ended differently. Maybe it shouldn't have happened in the first place. She was straight. Right?

She was terrified because, when it came to women, she had only had feelings for Chloe. And not in that way. She felt guilty, as if she had betrayed Chloe, because she had responded to Quinn without hesitation. Chloe had recognized something was off with Beca the day after when they Skyped. She kept asking what was wrong. Beca blew it off saying she was just tired from working with Quinn. Chloe didn't buy it. But Beca wasn't going to tell her any more, fearful Chloe would actually _feel_ betrayed. She never kept things from Chloe. She was afraid of losing Chloe, afraid of losing Quinn. Hell, afraid of losing herself, or what she thought herself to be.

And in her gut, there was the ache, the longing. It was visceral. That kiss had opened up the floodgates and there was no going back. She couldn't concentrate, couldn't sleep. The kiss was on rewind in her head. For two nights in a row she laid in bed, thinking about how it felt, how Quinn felt, how she smelled, her voice. By morning, she woke throbbing where she shouldn't be. She couldn't remember dreaming, but obviously she had. By the third morning she gave in, grabbing her vibrator out of the nightstand. She thought about Quinn and the kiss while she touched herself. The relief was quick and hard. And not enough.

Quinn paced. She drank. She paced some more. She was so restless and agitated she only slept from near exhaustion or drunkeness. What she didn't do was seek relief in a stranger. She didn't want to be that person anymore. But she didn't know what to do with the feelings that were threatening to overwhelm her.

When she had initiated that kiss, her head had been in an entirely different space. She was pretty sure she had flustered Beca a little with her antics in the booth. She saw Beca's eyes widen, saw her breath hitch a little. But the decision to kiss her had been impulsive. Almost on a whim. She hadn't expected Beca to come back with a scorching reply to that impulse. Beca's hands in her hair, pulling her down, needing Quinn. Beca's mouth on hers, tongue caressing her bottom lip, asking for entry. Beca in her arms. Full stop.

Quinn replayed her actions after the kiss. She hadn't intended to, but when she sang 'Wicked Game', she had meant it, felt it. Every. Single. Word. The song stayed with her for days. Almost a warning.

 _What a wicked game you played_

 _To make me feel this way_

 _What a wicked thing to do_

 _To let me dream of you_

 _What a wicked thing to say_

 _You never felt this way_

 _What a wicked thing to do_

 _To make me dream of you._

Quinn was nursing her third scotch and it wasn't 3:00pm yet. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She swiped the screen. A text from Beca. Fuck, she thought, she had forgotten their session. Well not forgotten exactly. She was scared to go. She didn't answer it.

By the time Quinn was two hours late for their weekly session, Beca was livid. She was a professional. She was trying to act like one. Apparently Quinn didn't give one shit about being professional. After another twenty minutes with no reply to her text, she was fed up. She got Quinn's address from Maggie, and drove the hour to her house. She was ready to give Quinn an earful about wasting her time, studio expense, contracts, whatever else she could throw into the soup. She pulled up to the double gate and pressed the buzzer, anger overtaking apprehension.

Carmen's voice came through the intercom. "May I ask who's calling?"

Beca knew she was on camera. "It's Beca Mitchell. I'm Quinn's producer and I need to see her."

She heard a buzz and a click, the gates started to roll back. She drove up the long driveway and parked in front of the house. It was intimidating, but she wasn't backing down now. She pushed the doorbell. Carmen answered within seconds. "Miss Quinn is on the pool deck. I'll show you the way."

Carmen ushered her through the entry, the cavernous living area, the dining room and to the back of the house, gestering to go through the glass doors to the pool deck. Beca stepped through and was struck by the view. The salt water infinity pool was right in front of her. It stretched to her right, as did the rest of the pool deck. Beyond the pool the property dropped away, revealing a cityscape like none Beca had ever seen. It seemed that all of LA was lying at her feet. It was dusk, lights were coming on all over the city.

She turned to her right and spotted Quinn lying on a chaise a few yards away. She had her hands folded behind her head, eyes closed, one leg on the deck, the other stretched the length of the chaise. There was a half empty drink sitting beside her. She appeared to be sleeping. Beca took a breath. She was on a mission now. "What the fuck, dude. Who the hell do you think you are?"

Quinn wasn't sleeping. Carmen, of course, had let her know that Beca was on her way up. She lowered her hands, sat up, then stood in front of Beca, hands on her hips. "I'm Quinn Fucking MacKenzie, rock star, womanizer, fuck up. Who's asking?"

Beca lost it. She felt the sting of angry tears welling up. "Who's asking? Your former producer, that's who. Find somebody else to fuck with asshole." She thought briefly about slapping Quinn across the face, decided against it, and turned on her heel to go. Quinn grabbed her around the waist from behind, and held her there.

"Let go of me, you bitch! You don't fucking own me! I'm not another fan you can fuck whenever you want!" She struggled against Quinn, arms flailing, hitting wherever she could reach. She knew she had no chance of breaking free. Quinn was so much taller, stronger than she.

Quinn didn't let go, she held Beca close to her. She pressed her cheek to Beca's, waiting for her to still, arms tight around her waist. "Beca", she whispered in Beca's ear, low, raspy, calm. "Please. I'm sorry." She bent and put a gentle kiss on Beca's neck, just below her ear, lingering there, breathing in her scent.

Beca wanted to stay mad, wanted to keep fighting, wanted away from the embrace. She just couldn't. The tears she had been holding back threatened to fall, then did, rolling down her cheeks. All her anger, the frustration, the longing, fell with them and melted into desire. Her chest was heaving with effort, but she calmed herself. Quinn turned her, never breaking contact.

Beca launched herself into Quinn's arms. Quinn gathered her in, holding tight, afraid she was dreaming. They didn't kiss, didn't talk, didn't move. They just held each other.

Finally, Quinn leaned down and kissed her lightly, at the base of her neck, just where it curved and met her shoulder. She pushed one hand through silky chocolate tresses, holding Beca still. "I'm so sorry Beca," she whispered, looking deep into cobalt eyes. Beca held the gaze, staring back into impossibly dark brown now, pupils blown. Quinn leaned in, the movement was so slow, agonizingly slow, the touch of their lips gentle, soft and apologetic. Beca felt electricity scream through her body, igniting her arousal, breath catching, knees weak. She moaned into Quinn's mouth, unable and unwilling to restrain her response. Her heart was a freight train in her chest.

Quinn pulled away and held her at arms length, needing Beca to tell her that she had been forgiven. She needed to know that Beca felt safe with where this was going, that Beca wanted her too. Beca answered all her questions with one sentence. "Please take me to bed."

Quinn took her by the hand and led her back through the house, upstairs to the master suite. The king bed sat nearly in the middle of the space. Above it was a huge skylight that had been fully retracted, stars visible, a slight breeze wafting through the room, bathing it in cool night air. She dropped Beca's hand and went to the bed. Quinn sat down and waited, watching, giving Beca a chance to change her mind. She gave up her control of the situation. She let Beca take the lead.

Beca walked over and stood between her legs. She looked down, lacing fingers through Quinn's hair and tilting her head up to meet her eyes. "Unzip me Quinn," Beca said and turned, allowing Quinn access to the zipper on her sundress. As the dress fell to the floor and Beca stepped out of it, Quinn pulled her own tank over her head, then stripped off her shorts and underwear. She pulled back the comforter and sheet, sliding in and holding the covers up for Beca to follow her. Beca dropped her bra, then her panties. Her hands were shaking, her breathing shallow and quick. She slid in beside Quinn, lying on her back, eyes to the open skylight. Quinn dropped the sheet over her, leaning on an elbow. They stayed like that a minute, maybe two, Beca watching the stars above the bed, Quinn watching Beca.

Beca turned to face Quinn, wrapping arms around her neck, pulling her into a deep kiss. Quinn felt her lips part and she slowly, languidly entered with her tongue, stroking, pushing, tasting. Beca tugged her closer, rolling onto her back, bringing Quinn with her. Their bodies pressed together, warm. Quinn straddled one of Beca's legs, her thigh pressed to Beca, wetness evident across bare skin.

Beca felt Quinn's thigh touch her and couldn't stop her shiver. The stimulation made her move against it, needing the pressure and friction. She knew she could control all this, but she didn't really know how, didn't know what she should do. So she decided to handle it the way she had handled men in her past, she surrendered.

Quinn propped herself up on her elbows, looking down at Beca beneath her. She felt Beca's hips rise to meet her thigh. That one simple motion ratcheted Quinn's own arousal tenfold. She groaned low in her throat, desperate to rein in the lust coursing through her. She wanted to do better by Beca than she had with all those strangers. She wanted to be a better lover for her. She knew she was Beca's first. She wanted this moment to last, savor it, remember it.

Beca let Quinn take her then, her mouth and hands everywhere Beca needed them to be. When Quinn slid between her legs and down her body, she thought she would combust. Her temperature flared with her passion. She was sweaty, breathless, so very wet. As her orgasm began to build, she felt her legs pulled over Quinn's shoulders, her hips tilted upward and forward. The change in angle and access pushed her to the brink, then over it. As her climax crested, her body went rigid, she fisted the sheets, trying to hold on to the sensation as long as she could. She felt it roll through her and begin to ebb when Quinn moved up over her. The sudden weight on her body and Quinn's mouth on hers helped her rock through the aftermath, trembling with exertion and pleasure.

Quinn was beyond control anymore. She needed to have Beca again. Right now. She entered her with two fingers, stroking slowly at first, building her back up. She was straddling one leg again, pinning her down, using her hip to push higher, deeper. Her thumb was rougher than her tongue had been, pressing harder, moving faster. Beca bent the leg between Quinn's, opening herself more, giving Quinn the contact she needed. Quinn picked up her pace. She ground into Beca's thigh, finding her rythym, matching thrusts to her own building intensity. Beca's breath was in her ear, " _Jesus, Quinn, please don't stop_." Quinn felt Beca clench and curled her fingers at exactly the right moment. Beca stiffened, clawing at her back, moaning. As Beca peaked, Quinn fell apart above her, riding out her own orgasm seconds behind Beca.


	9. The Morning After

Quinn woke first. She was on her back, Beca curled into her. Quinn had an arm around her, holding her close. Beca's head was on her chest, silky hair spread out over Quinn's breasts and shoulders. The sun, just beginning to come through an east window, caught them in a streak of gold. Beca's hair was mahogany in the light. Quinn watched her sleep, felt steady breath against her chest.

She thought about last night. In spite of the mind-blowing sex, all may not be rosy this morning. They allowed passion and need to sweep their anger away, hopefully for good, Quinn thought. It was weird, they'd had their first fight even before their first orgasm.

It weighed on Quinn that she was Beca's first woman. Quinn had always thought being someone's first _anything_ was a huge deal. Her mind went back to her favorite childhood story. A line in it had been one of Quinn's mantras for most of her life: _"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."_

Beca stirred beneath her arm. Quinn drew her closer, kissing the top of her head and letting her lips rest there, breathing her in. "Hmm...what time is it?" Beca asked, voice husky with sleep and with screaming Quinn's name last night. Quinn grinned.

"It's early. Sun's just coming up." Beca groaned a little at that, rolled over and stretched. Quinn thought she was the most angelic thing she'd ever seen, especially naked in her bed. Quinn did not normally let her partners share her bed. Not that she'd had any real partners in a long, long while.

Beca laid back down on Quinn's chest after her stretch. She was comfy and warm in Quinn's arms. And something else too. She felt safe. But as she slowly came back around to this side of consciousness, she realized she should get up. She had to get to work and had LA traffic to deal with. Quinn still held her close, she really didn't want to move, and she let her mind drift back to the night before.

She was sore in all the right places, even more than if she had been with a man. Quinn had drained her, bled her of her need and filled her back up with something that felt whole, complete. She wondered if sex with women was always so satisfying or if Quinn was just great in bed. (She would put money on the latter.)

She didn't regret sleeping with Quinn, in fact, she was glad she did. A weight had been lifted. She realized how much pressure she had put on herself, probably for years now, trying to maintain a straight lifestyle, playing hetero games. Games she didn't want to play anymore.

"I have to get up," Beca whined under her breath. "I have to get into the studio at a reasonably decent time, I'm an hour away, even in good traffic, and I have to stop at my place, shower and change."

"You can shower here if you like," Quinn offered, "I can have Carmen make us some breakfast." She didn't want Beca to go yet.

"No, I really need to go."

Quinn was disappointed, but didn't push it. "Okay, while you're waking up, I'm going to jump in the shower." She moved her arm out from under Beca and rolled out of bed, walking to the bathroom. Beca heard the shower, felt the loss of Quinn's warmth. She laid there another minute, trying to will herself to get up. _What the fuck_ , she thought, and went to join Quinn in the shower.

She found Quinn in a huge walk-in shower, glass walls, multiple rain heads above her. It really looked like it was raining in there. Quinn's back was to her, she was lathered all over, wet and warm. She smelled delicious, fruity and musky all at once. She smelled like Quinn. Beca was reminded again of how strikingly beautiful Quinn was. Tall, toned, atheletic. She watched the muscles in her back and shoulders flex as Quinn rinsed off, running fingers through her hair to get the shampoo out.

Beca quietly opened the door and stepped in, coming up behind Quinn. She wrapped her arms around Quinn's waist, resting her head between her shoulder blades. The warmth of the water and Quinn's body against her was comforting and relaxing, but so sensual. She felt her insides twist at the contact, her arousal igniting.

Quinn heard the shower door open, felt Beca's arms around her, just as she was rinsing the last of the shampoo from her hair. She turned in Beca's embrace, gathered her up and held her close. She reached to lift Beca's chin, brought their mouths together, brushing Beca's lips with her tongue. Beca whimpered softly, parted her lips and let Quinn enter, heat rapidly building between them.

In an instant, Beca was against the tiled wall and Quinn was on her knees in front of her. She felt hands on her hips, pushing her into the tile. She felt her leg lifted and placed over a shoulder, felt the exquisite sensation of Quinn's mouth on her. She held Quinn against her, her need building steadily as she was virtually devoured. Quinn quickened the pace and Beca tried and failed to suppress a moan. _"Oh my god Quinn, right there."_ When she felt teeth lightly graze her, she came undone, her climax exploding with an intensity that was unfamiliar to her. Just as she lost the ability to keep herself upright, Quinn caught her, pulling her into a kiss, open-mouthed, wet, tongue claiming her, deep. Quinn took her breath away.

Quinn turned off the water, grabbing an oversized towel. She toweled Beca's hair and her body, wrapping her in the warm towel. She was gentle, tender with Beca. The only word Beca could use to describe the feeling was 'loving', but that couldn't be right. Could it? Quinn kissed her again, briefly and lightly. "Go get yourself dressed," she smiled, "I'll be out in a sec."

Quinn was back within a minute or two, dressed in torn jeans, vintage t-shirt, bare feet. She was just in time to zip Beca's sundress. "Do you want me back in the studio today? I need to make up the session I missed yesterday."

Beca thought for a moment, trying to recall what was on the schedule. "Um, no, let me text you to reschedule it. I'm not sure what or who is in the que today."

Quinn walked her downstairs. Beca's car was still in the front where she'd left it the night before. As Quinn opened the front door, Beca turned to her, taking both her hands. "I think we both need a couple days to process this. I know I do. I'll call you." She pecked Quinn on the corner of her mouth, offering up a small smile. Quinn smiled back, but Beca saw her wince a little, some confusion in her eyes.

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Quote from The Little Prince - written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery


	10. Confession

By mid-morning, Beca was in the studio. She wanted to continue mixing the songs Quinn had chosen for the solo EP. She needed to get her back in the booth and get the project back on schedule. As she laid down the tracks, her mind wandered to the previous night and this morning.

Her body felt amazing. She was spent, the tension that had been building between them dissipated. Sexually she knew Quinn had found and pushed buttons she didn't realize she had. She was grateful for that. If she thought about the way Quinn made her feel for too long, her body would betray her. She would feel herself blush, her desire pooling between her legs. But her emotions hadn't caught up yet. She knew she felt something for Quinn but she couldn't say what.

As the day wore on, she got more and more into the music. By 6:00pm, she realized she had to quit. She had a Skype call scheduled with Chloe at 7:00pm. She had made a decision today. She decided to confess everything to Chloe. _Everything._ Chloe was her bestie, she had been able to tell her anything when they were together. She missed that, missed Chloe. It was true that she had been feeling them grow apart lately, and hoped this talk would bring them back to where Beca thought they should be. She needed her friend. So she resolved to tell Chloe all of it and hoped Chloe could help her decipher everything she was feeling. It would mean admitting to Chloe that she'd had sex with Quinn, but she thought Chloe would be okay with it. It didn't mean she was gay after all.

The call connected and Beca saw Chloe's beautiful face light up the screen. She couldn't help herself, she grinned from ear to ear at the sight of her bestie. Chloe returned the favor, her smile shining through and lighting up Beca's heart.

"Hey Chlo", Beca smiled, "I'm missing you."

"Aw, Becs, I miss you too, like really bad, " Chloe admitted.

"I've got something I really need to talk to you about."

"Yeah, I've got something to tell you too," Chloe beamed.

"You go first," Beca smiled back.

"Have you picked up your email yet? There's going to be a Bellas reunion, right before classes start in the fall!" It was two months away but Chloe was beside herself. She was already so excited to see everyone again. Especially Beca, of course.

She had been thinking long and hard over the last month about Beca, about what Beca meant to her, how much she missed her. She had finally come to terms with what she had been denying for far too long. She loved Beca, was in love with Beca. She knew this revelation had to be dealt with in person. Face to face. The reunion announcement provided the perfect opportunity. She would admit everything to Beca, and was pretty certain Beca felt the same way. She couldn't wait.

"Wow, really Chloe? That's awesome! I can't wait to see you!" Beca was giddy. "It's gonna be so much fun getting together again. I didn't realize how much I needed you guys until I didn't have you."

Chloe's heart soared. It was just the reaction she needed from Beca. She wanted to tell her right then how she felt. "I feel the same way, Becs," she said instead, hoping Beca could read between the lines. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I, um, well...," Beca started, hesitated, looked down, trying to find the right words. _Why is this so hard she thought. It's Chloe, she gets me._ Chloe waited patiently. Beca's struggles to express her feelings was one of the things so endearing about her.

"I met someone."

Chloe's heart skipped in her chest. This was _not_ what she expected. What was it with their timing anyway? It seemed just when they were on the cusp of really connecting with each other, fate, life, whatever, intervened and pulled them apart again. She hated it, especially now that she had recognized and put a name to her feelings for Beca. She tried to make her voice cheery and light. "Really? What's his name? What's he like? Where'd you meet him? Tell me everything!" She hoped she sounded like the enthusiastic best friend she was supposed to be, but inside, she died a little.

"Um, her name is Quinn." Beca threw it out there before she could change her mind.

"Quinn? As in Quinn MacKenzie?" Chloe was stunned. She knew Beca had been working with Quinn. When Beca had first told her she had been assigned a project with Quinn, Chloe remembered what had happened at the Grammys. Warning bells went off then, but as the weeks passed, she willed herself to stop worrying about it, confident Beca would never sleep with a woman unless it was her. "How serious is it Becs?"

"I don't know Chlo. We've been working together a few weeks now and everything was going smoothly, you know, normal. A couple days ago when we were on a break, she kissed me. Like out of the blue. On the mouth."

"What did you do Beca?" Chloe worked hard to not let her voice crack.

"I kissed her back. Hard. I don't know why I did, I just did. She's always kind of had an effect on me. Ever since the Grammys. I really wanted to kiss her, so I did."

Chloe could feel the tears start coming. She looked down quickly to conceal them and cleared her throat. "Then what happened?"

"Well honestly, she pretty much walked out after that. It really pissed me off, like she was playing with me or something. She missed her studio session yesterday and I really lost my temper. I drove to her house to tell her off. We ended up shouting at each other. I actually told her to find another producer. The next thing I knew I was in her arms asking her to take me to bed."

Chloe didn't think she could take hearing any more. Her voice was barely a whisper. "And did she...take you to bed?"

"Yeah. She did. We did. Chlo, I swear to god, I didn't think it was possible for me to respond to a woman sexually. I mean I'm straight, right? I don't know if it's because she knows just how to touch a woman or what, but she rocked me to my core. Twice last night and again in the shower this morning. Do you think this means I'm gay? Have I always been and never realized it? Or do you think it's just a thing with Quinn? I'm going crazy trying to figure all this out on my own."

It was too much. Chloe couldn't hold the tears in any more. "Becs, can you give me a sec, I'll be right back." She moved out of camera and ran to the bathroom. She vomited in the toilet, sobs taking over after. She knew she had to pull it together, Beca was waiting for her. She splashed water on her face, dried her tears and took a really deep breath. She went back to her laptop.

Beca could tell something was wrong. "Chlo? What's wrong? Are you crying?"

"No, no, I'm not crying. I haven't been feeling well today and just had to run to the bathroom and throw up. Probably some bug going around. I'm sorry Beca, you were asking about being gay?"

"If you're not feeling well, we can cut this short. I'm sorry, Chloe, I didn't mean to dump all this on you. I just needed _you_ to talk to. No one else understands me like you do."

Chloe answered her as honestly as she could in the moment. "I don't know what it means, Becs. I need some time to wrap my head around it. What I do know for sure," she paused, having to bite her lip to keep it from quivering, "is that it doesn't change how I feel about you."

Beca exhaled. She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath waiting for Chloe's response. The relief she felt hearing Chloe's words was palpable. Her eyes filled with tears of her own, "I love you Chlo." God, she missed her friend.

"I love you too, Becs," Chloe whispered.

"I'll talk to you soon, okay? Please take care of yourself. Get better."

"Bye, Beca"

The call ended, the connection lost.


	11. Phone Calls

Chloe was shattered. She closed her laptop and tried to get some perspective, tried to force her mind to overcome her emotions. It wasn't working. She crawled into bed, hugging her pillow like it was a lifesaver, keeping her from drowning, falling into an abyss of pain. _This cannot be happening_ she thought. _People that love each other aren't supposed to keep missing it. They're supposed to find each other, stay together forever, happily ever after, right?_ She actually believed that, or she did once. She didn't know what to do. Should she fight for Beca? Should she risk losing her friendship by telling her what she felt? Should she just move on? _Beca, she thought, oh Beca, why don't you_ _ **know**_ _how much I love you? Why can't you see it? Why couldn't it have been us?_ She sobbed, rocking herself, trying to find comfort any way she could.

When Beca closed her laptop on the other side of the country, she felt better for having told Chloe what had happened. She knew Chloe would understand. And Chloe did understand. She didn't judge Beca, only reassured her that she felt the same way about her, no matter what. True, she didn't have any answers yet. But she was sure that in time, when Chloe was feeling better, they could talk about it and Chloe could help her understand her attraction to Quinn. Shit, she had forgotten to call Quinn. She picked up her phone and punched Quinn's contact icon.

Quinn answered on the first ring, as if she had been waiting on Beca's call. "Hey you, is everything okay?" Quinn's voice was low and raspy, sexy, but there was a tone of concern in it.

"Hey you, everything's fine," Beca said, a smile evident in her voice. "I just got busy at the studio, then had a call scheduled with Chloe. I lost track of the time. Sorry."

"Chloe? Have I met her?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah you did, in New York at the afterparty."

"Oh, I remember, gorgeous redhead, right?"

"Right," Beca smirked at Quinn's comment, "and my bestie. If I'm going to date you, do I have to be constantly on my guard? It seems like when it comes to women, you don't miss much." Beca was teasing.

"Are you going to date me?" Quinn asked, a smile spreading from ear to ear.

"Maybe, it depends on whether or not I'm treated with the respect and adoration I deserve." She was in her element now.

"I thought I demonstrated the adoration part last night. Did I not get that message across?" Quinn could dish out as good as she could take.

"I don't know if I believe that yet," Beca snapped back, "it might take some more convincing."

Quinn groaned into the phone. "Dammit Beca, you're killing me. Can I see you?"

"When?"

"Tonight. Right now."

Beca laughed. "No you cannot. Not tonight. It's already late and I have a job you know. Which reminds me, you need to be in the studio tomorrow. No excuses."

"Fuck, I was really looking forward to showing you how much you're adored." Quinn was being playful, but she meant what she said.

Beca giggled at her frustration and at how cheesy Quinn was being. Still, it was nice to know that she was wanted in that way. Especially by someone like Quinn MacKenzie. She knew Quinn had likely been with scores of women, but right now, she wanted Beca, and it felt good. "I'll see you tomorrow, by 10:00am please Miss MacKenzie."

"Oh, alright Miss Mitchell, I'll see you tomorrow. But I can't promise I won't be thinking about how much I adore you, once I find my vibrator."

Beca gasped, audibly. "Quinn. I'm hanging up now. Guess you better go fuck yourself." she was laughing, but Quinn's remark made her flush with arousal. How did this woman know how to get to her? And so easily at that.

"Goodnight, Beca. Sweet dreams." Quinn was sincere now, voice low again.

Beca's temperature went up a notch or two, hearing that tone. "Goodnight, Quinn. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow." She was being honest too.


	12. Another Track

At 10:00am Quinn walked into the studio, Beca's favorite latte in hand, lop-sided grin wide enough to show her dimple. She (accidently) brushed Beca's hand as she set her coffee down. Beca looked up at her, dark blue eyes shining, she was glad to see her.

"How was your evening?" Beca smirked, intending to continue the teasing from the night before.

"Um, not so great actually," Quinn replied, her face dropping into a fake scowl, "Miss Eveready was a no show." Both of them broke out laughing.

"You're an ass. Are you ready to get some work done?" Beca said.

"Yep, what do you have qued up?"

"Too Good at Goodbyes"

"Oh, Sam Smith, eh? I was just listening to him on the way in." Quinn grinned at her and launched into 'Stay With Me'.

 _Oh, won't you stay with me_

 _"Cause you're all I need_

Beca gave her the signature Mitchell glare. "Stop it and get in the booth." When Quinn had settled in, Beca qued the intro. In a flash, the whole mood shifted. Quinn wasn't singing to her. She seemed to withdraw into herself, eyes closed.

 _You must think that I'm stupid_

 _You must think that I'm a fool_

 _You must think that I'm new to this_

 _But I have seen this all before_

Beca watched and listened to her, Quinn's vocals low and smooth. Beca could see the intensity in her face, as if she were struggling to maintain her composure.

 _I'm never gonna let you close to me_

 _Even though you mean the most to me_

 _'Cause every time I open up it hurts_

 _So I'm never gonna get too close to you_

 _Even when I mean the most to you_

 _In case you go and leave me in the dirt_

When the song was finished, Quinn sat quietly with her head down. She sat for so long, Beca got concerned. "Quinn? Are you okay?"

Quinn heard her through the headphones. "Yeah," she said, so softly Beca almost couldn't hear her. She got up abruptly and left the booth. "I need a break," she said, heading for the conference room.

Beca had worked with artists for a while now. She knew they could be moody and tempermental. But she didn't have Quinn pegged that way. The change in her mood nearly gave Beca whiplash, it was so sudden and extreme. Beca waited by her board for a few minutes, then decided to go check on her. She found her sitting on the conference table, her feet on the seat of a chair. She was leaning forward, her elbows on her knees, staring out the window into the parking lot. She had a solo cup in her hand and Beca could smell the alcohol from across the room.

Beca quietly walked over to stand in front of her, moving the chair and blocking the view out of the window. She took the cup from her and placed both her hands over Quinn's. Quinn made eye contact and Beca could see the pain she was dealing with. Her eyes were glassy, her jaw was clenched and she was taking deep breaths. "Quinn, what is it? You can tell me, I won't judge you."

"I, um, I just had a hard time with the lyrics." she said, breaking contact and looking down. Beca knew it was more than that.

"You sounded amazing, Quinn. Please tell me what's wrong. If we're going to be anything beyond what we are now, you need to trust me."

Quinn looked back up into those beautiful blue eyes. She was startled by Beca's implication that they might actually one day be more. "I _am_ the person in the song. I don't _want_ to be any of that, but I am. I don't want to have that kind of fear and doubt, but I do." She was warning Beca, telling her just what she could expect. Quinn was risking everything they could be and putting Beca's feelings first. She figured Beca would turn and run.

Beca fell in love a little. She wanted to comfort her, tell her she could be open and trusting again. That she could love again. She couldn't say it, they barely knew each other. So she did what she thought might be the next best thing. She placed a hand on either side of Quinn's face and pulled her into a tender kiss. She let her mouth linger there, trying to convey what she wanted to say through her touch. Quinn melted into the kiss.

When Beca broke contact, she looked deep into Quinn's eyes, still holding her face in her hands. "I'm not afraid of you Quinn." She whispered it, almost like a prayer, and maybe it was. That was the moment that Quinn fell in love.

Beca took her by the hand. "Come on, we're getting out of here."

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Stay With Me - written by Smith, Napier, Phillips, Petty, Lynne; produced by Napes, Fitzmaurice, Jerkins

Too Good at Goodbyes - written by Napier, Hermansen, Eriksen, Smith; produced by Napes, Fitzmaurice, Stargate


	13. The Apartment

Beca took Quinn by the hand and led her outside to Beca's old Toyota. Quinn looked at her, a little confused. "Where are we going?'

"To my place. We're just going to hang out, relax, have some pizza and beer, maybe a movie. You need to chill."

Quinn didn't argue, but during the drive she was quiet. Beca reached over and took her hand. "Quinn, I have to say I don't believe you really are the person you described. I don't see that in you." Beca was sincere. She was trying to comfort Quinn anyway she could. She could almost feel the self-loathing radiating off her. It was baffling. This woman, who had been so confident, so bold and sure of herself, was grappling with doubt.

Quinn glanced at her then looked away again. She started to say something, thought better of it, and stopped. Beca squeezed her hand, trying to convey that she was there for her. She didn't prod, just waited patiently for Quinn to find her voice. They had pulled into a space outside of Beca's apartment. Finally, she couldn't wait any more. "Quinn. Baby, tell me."

Quinn's expression of bewilderment was evident. That one word, an overused term of endearment to be sure, snapped her back. Her eyes met Beca's. Did she call all her lovers 'baby'? Quinn didn't know, didn't even know if Beca had other lovers. They really hadn't had a chance to discover each other's past. She saw nothing but honesty in those steel-blue eyes, but the term shook her anyway. She never said stuff like that to her conquests, if she talked to them at all.

It was new ground for Quinn. Her feelings were all over the place. In a very short time, Beca had become important to her. She felt responsible because she was Beca's first, as misguided as that was. Beca was a consenting adult. But in that moment, she realized she actually _wanted_ to be Beca's 'baby'. It scared the shit out of her. And she was sure that she didn't want to mislead Beca. She didn't want Beca to think she was something she wasn't. And what she had never been was committed.

"Beca, I don't..I, uh," she took a breath. "Beca, I don't want to hurt you. You deserve better than this."

"Better than what? Better than you?" Beca was a annoyed. "First of all, you don't know me well enough to make a statement like that. Secondly, where do you get off thinking that _'this'_ is even _anything_ yet? And lastly, you don't get to decide what I deserve or don't deserve. Listen, Quinn, we had amazing sex. You make me feel things I didn't know I could feel, physically that is. I enjoy your company when you're not being such a jerk. Can't we just put the expectations aside and give ourselves just a _little_ time?"

Quinn was stunned. All of the women she had been with in recent years, especially those she met after she became famous, had fallen over themselves trying to be what they thought she wanted. They were willing to say or do just about anything to hold onto her for more than a night or two. That was one of the reasons she pursued anonymous hookups. It was easier than trying to read someone's agenda. It had made her cautious and wary, like an animal that had been caught once and determined it would never be caught again. And here was Beca, telling her to back off, that she was way ahead of herself.

"Yeah, okay." was all Quinn could get out. The relief on her face was noticeable and her mood lightened. She grinned at Beca. If anything more was going to develop between them, Beca was okay to just let it happen. She was telling Quinn not to push it.

Beca led the way into her apartment. "Make yourself comfortable," she said, "I'm going to change and order a pizza. There's beer in the frig, help yourself."

Quinn grabbed a couple beers, opened them both and set one on the counter for Beca. She walked into the small but cozy living room, looking at the pictures Beca had on display. Pictures of her family, pictures of the Bellas. She recognized a few of them. Jesse was one. She remembered him as Beca's date on Grammy night and made a mental note to ask Beca about him. She took a little longer studying a picture of Beca and Chloe. They were standing in the rain, under an umbrella, facing each other with silly grins on their faces. It was clear, even from the distance the photo had been taken, that they were comfortable together, happy in each other's company, having fun together.

Beca came in through the kitchen, grabbing her already opened beer along the way. She had changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt, her hair loose and falling over her shoulders. Her feet were bare. Quinn thought she was adorable. "Pizza should be here shortly." Quinn plopped down in the middle of the sofa. Beca sat at one end, her back against the armrest and put her feet in Quinn's lap. Quinn shook her head with a smirk. She set her beer on the table in front of her and began massaging Beca's feet. Beca groaned, Quinn's hands were warm and strong, long fingers able to knead out all the stress. "Holy crap, you're good at that."

Quinn grinned at her. "I do know a thing or two about the way to a woman's heart."

"Do tell."

"Well, I know this," she said, gesturing to the on-going massage. "And to never forget an important occassion. And to tell her how beautiful she is." She glanced over at Beca, catching her watching. Beca was smirking at her, eyes filled with amusement.

"Is that all?" she grinned at Quinn, her tone expectant, playful.

"Oh no, there are so many other ways." Quinn crawled up the couch, suspending her body over Beca. She bent to kiss her and at the last possible moment, as Beca was tilting her chin upward to meet Quinn's mouth, she veered over and down, kissing her jawline, nibbling up to her earlobe, nipping it lightly. Quinn whispered in her ear, "You have to tell her how good she smells and how good she tastes." Quinn captured Beca's pulse point in an open-mouthed kiss, biting gently, sucking just a bit.

Beca inhaled sharply, setting her beer down on the floor and wrapping her arms around Quinn's neck. She pulled down until Quinn's weight was resting over the length of her body, Quinn between her legs. She took possesion of Quinn's mouth in a fierce kiss, sliding her tongue between Quinn's lips.

Quinn rotated her hips forward, grinding into her. Beca's arousal went from zero to sixty in under three seconds. She raised her hips up to meet Quinn's and breathed heavily into Quinn's ear. "I guess you might know something about it." Just then the doorbell rang.

"Shit." They said it simultaneously, sparking a burst of laughter. Quinn rolled off of her to get the door while Beca sat up trying to catch her breath. _What the fuck, she thought, I have absolutely no control here._

Quinn brought the pizza over to the couch, placing it on the table, next to her beer. Beca went to the kitchen to get plates and napkins. "Movie?' Beca asked as she handed Quinn a plate then turned on the TV, pulling up Netflix.

"Sure, you pick."

Beca selected "Carol" and they settled in together, side-by-side. The film wasn't a happy one, and by the time it ended, both of them had succumbed to a few embarrassed tears. Quinn had her arm around Beca, holding one hand and pressing her cheek to the top of Beca's head. Beca had one arm draped over Quinn's waist, snuggled into her shoulder. Quinn tilted Beca's chin up, kissing her softly, almost reverently. It was nearly dark and the only light in the apartment was from the TV screen.

Beca stood, taking Quinn's hands in her own. "Come with me," she said, pulling Quinn up and leading her into her bedroom.

Quinn moved to push Beca onto the bed, but Beca stopped her. "No, no, my house, my rules." Her tone was playful, but it sparked Quinn's desire and it flared again from where it had been smouldering all evening. Beca tugged Quinn's shirt up over her head then reached to unclasp her bra, baring Quinn from the waist up. Beca pulled her own shirt off, she wasn't wearing a bra, and stepped forward between Quinn's legs as Quinn sat on the bed. Quinn breathed her in as she buried her face in Beca's chest, wrapping her up, holding her close. Her scent was quickly becoming Quinn's drug of choice. Quinn was lightheaded with lust, her heart pounding now, threatening to escape from her ribcage.

She felt Beca's hands in her hair, guiding her mouth and holding her to a breast. Nails were raking up Quinn's back as her mouth found a nipple. She heard Beca whimper, and she sucked lightly, stroking her, kneading her, nipping softly. Unbuttoning Quinn's jeans, Beca reached down and slipped a hand beneath the waistband. Her own arousal spiked when she discovered how wet Quinn already was. She moved to strip Quinn of her jeans and underwear. "Get up on the bed Quinn." It wasn't a command, nor was it a request. Quinn scooted toward the headboard as Beca peeled off her own sweats and panties.

She crawled forward, slipping between Quinn's legs. Quinn watched her, spellbound by the movement and the anticipation. Beca's eyes never left Quinn's when she laid down, wrapping her arms around Quinn's thighs. She pushed upward with her shoulders until Quinn's knees were bent, spreading and opening her. Beca's hands pressed down on Quinn's hips, holding her still. "Don't move." It was a command this time. Quinn couldn't take much more and moaned from the sound of Beca's voice throaty with lust. She dropped her head to the pillows, determined to hold on, but she felt like she was already half way there and Beca hadn't touched her yet.

And then Beca did touch her. The sensation pulsed through her, spreading through her body and igniting every nerve in her. She was immersed in the feeling of Beca's mouth on her. She reached back, grabbing the rails on the headboard, desperate to anchor herself, trying to hold herself still. Her climax was building and her moans were deep in her chest, drawn out by Beca's tongue swirling and pressing. She was panting, biting her lip, trying to hold on longer. And then she couldn't hold on. Her orgasm ripped through her and erupted. She heard herself moan Beca's name over and over, as Beca took her, owned her.

Quinn collapsed, sweaty with effort, heart still racing and breathing hard. Beca climbed up, laying her body on Quinn's, her head on Quinn's chest. As she listened to Quinn's heartbeat and felt Quinn's arms envelop her, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had been anxious, never having done this before. So she allowed her instinct to take over and her instinct had been right.

Quinn's breathing and heart rate returned to normal, and she sat up, rolling Beca off her and onto her back. Looking down into deep blue, she smiled and took a breath. "I think I like you in control." Beca grinned up at her, pleased with herself. But Quinn wasted no time taking control back.

She positioned herself between Beca's legs, propped up on her elbows. "What do you want Beca?"

"Hmmm, I bet you have a pretty good idea, since you know the way to a woman's heart so well. What do you want?"

"I want to fuck you senseless." Beca moaned into Quinn's mouth as she was kissed so deeply she could barely breathe. She wrapped her arms around Quinn, holding on to her shoulders as her legs came up around Quinn's waist. Quinn reached between them, lifting her hips to make room for her hand. She slid her fingers through a surprising amount of wetness, carressing and circling, finding her entrance. Beca's forehead was on her shoulder and she was watching Quinn touch her. "Beca look at me." Beca raised her eyes to look at Quinn and felt Quinn enter her. Her eyes snapped shut with the sensation and she pulled Quinn into another kiss, biting her lower lip.

Quinn pushed her hand with her own pubic bone making her thrusts deeper and higher. Beca inhaled sharply then whimpered. Quinn was filling her, in so deep with her long fingers that Beca thought she might pass out. Quinn found her rhythm, slow and languid at first. Beca was writhing. She couldn't get enough of Quinn. She felt her thumb just where it needed to be, stroking her, pressing down, sliding across her. "God, Quinn, right there. Harder, baby, faster." Quinn had been called that for a second time today, but this time it was so initmate and meant so much more.

She picked up her pace steadily until she was rocking into Beca, curling fingers on the way out, only to slam in again, her hips pushing deeper with every thrust. Beca was falling apart. She was so open and wet for Quinn, each thrust brought her closer. She hadn't realized until this moment that maybe she liked it rough sometimes, liked the feeling of being fucked hard and deep. She arched into Quinn, pulling Quinn into her, lifting her hips to match Quinn's pace. "Please don't stop, I'm so close, Quinn."

Quinn growled in her ear. "Let me have you Beca, come for me." Beca let go, giving herself to Quinn. Quinn continued to push, even though she knew Beca was already there, her body rigid in Quinn's arms. Beca's orgasm lasted longer than any she could remember having. Wave after wave crashed over her until she was weak, spent and trembling. Quinn gently pulled out of her, kissing her softly and pulling her into an embrace that felt like heaven to Beca. She drifted to sleep in Quinn's arms.

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"Carol" - starring Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mars; directed by Todd Haynes


	14. Lost in You

Beca woke first. That was unusual in itself, she rarely woke early. The sun was just beginning to come up, the new day filtering into her bedroom. She was on her back, Quinn on her stomach beside her, one arm draped across Beca's waist. She watched Quinn sleep, her breathing deep and steady. She noted that Quinn's eyes moved under her lids. She wondered what she might be dreaming about and for a brief moment hoped it was about her. She quickly pushed the thought from her mind.

Letting her eyes linger over the features of Quinn's peaceful face, she realized again how truly beautiful Quinn was, though not in a fragile, soft way. Quinn was handsome, not mannish at all, maybe tomboy type at best. Her real allure was her confidence and her strength, and that little bit of swagger that made Beca melt. And those deep brown eyes. Quinn's eyes naturally communicated everything she was feeling. There was nothing she could hide, or fake. If some people wore their heart on their sleeve, Quinn's heart shone through her eyes.

Beca had gotten lost in them more than once, especially when Quinn had her at her most vulnerable. It was the depth of Quinn's arousal in that look, the need Beca saw there, the fear and longing and love? The look Quinn gave her in that instant made Beca fall apart, made her let go and surrender to Quinn MacKenzie. It was heady, erotic and emotional.

Quinn stirred and woke to find Beca watching her. Her sleepy morning smile was warm and affectionate. Her expression was one of devotion, nearly reverence. Beca realized, right then, Quinn was in love with her.

"Hey you," she smiled at Quinn, "welcome back to the world".

Quinn groaned and stretched, muscles tensing then relaxing under her skin. She propped herself up on her elbows, yawning and running a hand through a platinum mess of hair. "Hey you," she grinned at Beca, her dark skin amber in the first rays of the sun. Beca thought she was gorgeous. "What are you doing awake so early? And why were you staring at me?"

"I was watching you sleep, dork," Beca giggled. Quinn reached out and drug her closer, putting an elbow on each side of her head, her naked torso lying across Beca's bare chest. Their hands were above Beca's head, fingers interlaced.

"So what did you see while you were watching me sleep?"

"I'm not sure yet, still trying to figure it out." Beca wasn't going to let on that she had been infatuated. "But you were dreaming. Do you remember what it was about?"

Quinn thought a minute and gave Beca a half grin. "I'm not certain but I think an angel flew into my bed and I made love to her all night."

Beca hit her. "Oh my god, you are so fucking cheesy. And it's not your bed, it's mine. Get out!" They both were laughing now, Beca shoving Quinn and Quinn covering her head like a boxer taking a beating.

As they ran out of breath, arms and legs tangled, hearts beating hard from the exertion, Quinn gathered Beca into her arms, propped on elbows above her. She leaned in, brushing Beca's lips with her own, velvet soft and light, kissing her so gently it felt like a whisper. Beca sighed into her, arms around her neck, pulling her closer. She feathered her tongue over Quinn's bottom lip and Quinn let her in. The sex was slow and deliberate, easy and tender. Quinn touched her like she might break, but Beca came hard in spite of it, biting Quinn's shoulder and moaning her name. Quinn rocked her in her arms as she came down, whispering in her ear. "I've got you baby."

Two hours later they were back in the studio. Beca was working on a mix, Quinn was pacing. "I don't know Beca, I'm just not feeling it. The songs I've selected just don't seem right." Quinn wasn't one to push through and just record, regardless of her mood. She had to be connected to the melody and the lyrics. It was what made her really good at her craft, those emotions came through her vocals just like they came through her eyes.

Beca turned away from Quinn and rolled her eyes. _Artists,_ she thought, _so fucking fickle._ "Quinn, why don't you go home, let things simmer for awhile. If you come up with something, text me and I'll get right on it."

Quinn felt a little like she was being dismissed. She knew Beca had other work to do and she wasn't helping. "Um, okay, I'll call you later." She turned and started down the hall to the exit. Beca watched her go, then bolted after her. She caught Quinn at the door, placing a hand on her arm to stop her. "It's okay, we'll work it out...together." Quinn gazed down at her, searching her eyes for something, anything to hold on to. A lump rose in Beca's throat and she swallowed hard. God, she wanted to take this woman's pain away. She threw her arms around Quinn's neck, burying her face in Quinn's neck. "Quinn, I..." she stopped herself, she couldn't say it, it was way too soon. "I'm here for you."

Quinn pulled away and gave her a wry smile. It didn't reach up to her eyes. "Thanks." was all she said. She gave Beca a peck on the cheek and walked out.

Chloe was pacing on the other side of the country. Her laptop was on her desk, already connected and waiting for the incoming call. She and Beca had a Skype call scheduled tonight and she was nervous. She couldn't wait to see Beca but she was afraid she'd slip up. She wasn't ready to let Beca see what she'd been hiding, to see how much she _ached_ for her.

She knew she couldn't keep the conversation light and breezy, like it had once been between them. Beca would want to talk about Quinn and Chloe didn't know how she was going to handle it. It was the elephant in the room and it would have to be discussed. Her laptop chimed with the notification of an incoming call. Chloe steeled herself and decided, right then, that nothing was worth losing Beca. She would be what Beca needed her to be. She knew how to do that all too well.

Beca's face flickered on the screen. "Hey Chlo," she was beaming, "how's my favorite person in the world?"

Chloe swallowed hard, "Hey Becs, how are ya?"

"Im good, but I sure could use a hug from my bestie. And since I can't hug you right now, there's this.." Beca leaned in and kissed the screen, then she blushed and laughed behind her hand, embarassed.

Chloe laughed with her, but she could already feel tears building. "So, what's going on in that crazy life you're living? How are things with Quinn?" She was desperate to have Beca do the talking, so she didn't have to.

"Um, things are, uh, progressing. Fast." Beca looked down, thinking. "Chlo, I think she's in love with me." There it was, she said it, and when she did, her heart skipped. Chloe sat, silent for a heartbeat too long. "Chloe, what do you think? That's just nuts, right?"

"Has she told you she loves you, Becs?" She was terrified of where this was going.

"Well, no, but she...", Beca trailed off, trying to explain how she knew it to be true. "It's in the way she looks at me sometimes. Like I'm some kind of salvation for her, or absolution. I don't know which. And it's the way she..." Beca stopped herself.

"The way she what Beca?"

"It's in the way she touches me."

Chloe had to ask, had to know. "Do you love her?"

"I don't know, Chlo. I think I could...love her I mean. I guess I think I'm falling. It's scary. When we're alone, I don't want to be anywhere else."

Chloe gripped the sides of her chair so hard she thought she'd leave nail marks in the wood. She had to hold on until she could speak again. She brought her hands up to sides of her face, looking down, trying to keep it in, hoping she looked like she was lost in thought.

"Chloe, say something, please." Beca needed validation from her friend. She needed Chloe to say that it was alright to fall for Quinn, for Chloe to give her permission. She needed Chloe's approval and her encouragement to move forward, to let it happen.

"If she makes you happy, Beca," was all Chloe could get out. She put her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob, but Beca saw the tears begin to fall.

"Chlo, what is it? Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong? Chloe?"

Chloe regained enough control to continue, but she knew she wouldn't last much longer before she completely broke down. "I'm just happy for you Becs. You deserve to be happy, and if she does that for you , then, well..." she took a deep breath, "then go for it."

Beca grinned from ear to ear. The person she trusted most in the world had told her what she needed to hear. Chloe would never approve if she thought Beca could get hurt and Chloe was fine with it.

"Any news about the reunion?" The change in subject caught Chloe off guard.

"Oh, yeah, I mean, no, no news. Some of the girls are clearing their schedules, but other than that, it's still in the works. Listen, Beca, I have to go. Um, good luck with everything."

It was abrupt, not like Chloe at all. Beca had thought if she was honest about her feelings, it might bring them back to where they had been before she moved to LA, back to when they could talk about anything. Now she wasn't so sure. Maybe the distance was taking it's toll on both of them. "Oh, okay Chlo. I guess I'll talk to you next week then."

"Yep, next week. Bye, Becs."

"Love you Chloe."

"I love you Beca."

Chloe closed her laptop and put her head down on her folded arms. She heaved with pain, her body was shaking, she couldn't breathe. Telling Beca to "go for it" had been the hardest thing she had ever done. It felt like she had pushed away every chance she had to be happy. She had loved Beca for so long and she had just thrown it away.


	15. Love Beyond the Sky

It had been two days and Quinn hadn't called. Beca wanted to give her space, let her take her time, but she was getting anxious. She missed Quinn and after her call with Chloe, she couldn't wait to see her again. She knew her walls had come down, with Chloe's help. She was ready to let Quinn walk right through the gates and claim her. She decided if she didn't hear from her by day's end, she would call Quinn. After all, she had reason other than her growing desire to be with Quinn, really be with her. They had a project to finish.

It was late afternoon when Quinn called. Beca was full of nervous energy when she saw Quinn's name on her phone. She swiped to pick up the call and tried to sound cool. "Hey stranger, what's up?"

"Stranger is it? It's been two days and you've forgotten who I am?" Quinn was playing, it was in her voice. Beca grinned into the phone, ready to take up this flirty game that had developed between them. She loved it.

"I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

Quinn growled into the phone. "Looks like I'm going to have to try harder to make you remember me." The implication was obvious, Beca upped the ante.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" she challenged Quinn to take the bait.

"With adoration and respect, of course." Quinn threw Beca's own words right back at her. Beca laughed out loud.

"Touche, round one to Miss MacKenzie."

"Actually, I have something I'd like you to listen to. It's a song I think I'd like to add to the EP. Can we run through it tomorrow?"

Beca was a little disappointed. She had wanted to see Quinn tonight, hoped Quinn wanted to see her. Now she was going to have to wait. When Beca wanted something, really wanted it, patience was not one of her strong points. She hesitated, trying to decide whether to make her feelings known. She decided against it. There may have been a brick or two left in her walls that Quinn would have to kick over. "Um, sure...how's 10:00am work for you?"

"Perfect," Quinn said, "I'll see you then."

The next morning Quinn sauntered in just before 10:00. Beca saw her coming, the swagger that left Beca a craving mess was back. She felt her temperature spike and the twist in her stomach started to move south. She couldn't keep the grin off her face when they locked eyes. _Damn those eyes, she thought, this woman is killing me._

Quinn stopped in front of her desk. Beca leaned forward, her crossed arms on the surface in front of her, looking up into Quinn's face. Quinn placed her hands on the opposite side, leaning forward to Beca's mouth, grinning like a cheshire cat. Beca tilted her chin up and Quinn was so close Beca could feel her breath, smell her shampoo. Their lips were less than an inch apart, and before Beca could close the gap, Quinn quipped, "Remember me? I'm Quinn MacKenzie." She winked.

Beca closed her eyes and groaned softly. Quinn gave her what she wanted and met her lips with a delicate kiss. It was light and warm, not a peck, there wasn't that much pressure, but smooth and silky, barely brushing her mouth. Beca felt herself getting wet.

Quinn pulled back, stood straight and Beca almost groaned again with the loss of contact. Quinn handed her a flash drive."I know you haven't had a chance to work with this, but I wanted you to take a listen, see what you think."

"Oh, I guess we're doing this now." Beca plugged it into a USB port, routing it to their headphones and the booth where Quinn was getting comfortable. They weren't recording, just getting familiar with the song. "What's the name of this song?" she asked Quinn through her headset.

"Goddess" Quinn smirked, blushing a little. She knew Beca would think it was cheesy and, as expected, Beca rolled her eyes. Quinn had turned the stool in the booth so she could look directly into Beca's eyes as she sang.

Beca hadn't heard the song before and it wasn't anything like she expected. It was sultry and bluesy, full of desperation and vulnerability. It was a perfect fit with Quinn's low and raspy alto.

 _She's so mystical_

 _Brought me to my knees_

 _Feel like an animal_

 _Sacrifice me please_

 _She shuts the stars at night_

 _Just because she can_

 _She's electrified_

 _I can't even stand it, oh_

 _I can't compare to the power of her_

 _A kiss from her lips and I fall from the Earth_

 _I tried to go slow but there's no sense of time_

 _But I know when the planets align_

 _It's love beyond the sky_

 _It's love beyond the sky_

 _Heaven and Earth collide_

 _Cause it's love beyond the sky_

 _It's love beyond the sky_

Beca was spellbound. She couldn't tear her eyes away as Quinn sang to her. If it was possible to make love to someone through song, Quinn was doing just that. And the effect it was having on Beca was identical to Quinn's touch.

 _Lost my gravity_

 _I can barely breathe_

 _I might not make it back_

 _But don't feel bad for me, oh_

 _Cause I can't compare to the power of her_

 _I look in her eyes and I don't miss the Earth_

 _I tried to go slow but there's no sense of time_

 _Now I know that the planets align_

 _And it's love beyond the sky, oh_

 _It's love beyond the sky_

 _When Heaven and Earth collide_

 _It's love beyond the sky_

 _It's love beyond the sky, oh_

 _I said it's love beyond the_

 _Girl it's love, oh_

 _Cause I can't compare to the power of her_

 _I look in her eyes and I don't miss the Earth_

 _I tried to go slow but there's no sense of time_

 _Now I know that the planets align_

 _And it's love beyond the sky_

 _Oh baby, oh_

 _When Heaven and Earth collide_

 _It's love beyond the sky, the sky, the sky_

 _It's love beyond the sky_

They sat for several minutes after the song ended, staring into each other's eyes, neither willing to break the connection. Beca had never been told "I love you" so clearly without those words being said.

When Quinn finally exited the booth, Beca grabbed her by the hand and took her to a dark, empty office. She pushed the door shut and locked it. Quinn was on her in a heartbeat, slamming her into the door with a bruising kiss, hands pinned above her head. Beca moaned into Quinn's mouth when her tongue slid between Beca's lips, pushing in so deep she could barely breathe.

She dropped Beca's wrists and took her by the waist, grinding into her, raising a leg over her hip. Her mouth was all over Beca's neck, licking and biting, finding the sensitive spots near her jaw, her earlobe, her pulse point.

Beca was panting with arousal when Quinn lifted her other leg to wrap it around her waist, holding her suspended against the door, one arm supporting her, the other hand up her skirt, pulling panties to the side. Quinn groaned into her shoulder when she found Beca's wetness, pushing into her without warning or hesitation. Beca threw her head back against the door, gasping for air as Quinn filled her and began a steady thrusting, deep and high, curling and sliding her thumb where Beca needed it most.

Quinn's face was in Beca's chest as she sped up her rhythm, grinding her hips into Beca hard with each thrust. Beca held on, trying to delay her climax, needing it to last longer, but she was coming fast. "Baby, oh my god, Quinn, right there baby, please Quinn, don't stop." Quinn didn't. When her orgasm hit her, Beca arched into Quinn's arms, moans incoherent, stifled as best she could. Quinn held her against the door, slowing as she rode out her climax. When Beca dropped her head to Quinn's shoulder, Quinn let her down but held her until she regained the ability to stand on her own. It took a while.

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Goddess - sung by Stanaj; written by Stanaj, Hollander, Muhammad, Parish


	16. MTV

They left the dark office, Beca still shaky and flushed. Quinn had her by the hand and turned to face her as they reached Beca's desk. "I have something I'd like to ask you," she said. Quinn had never really asked her for anything.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I've been asked to perform at the MTV Music Awards in two weeks. Would you consider being my date?"

To say Beca was surprised would be an understatement. Quinn had _never_ been seen in public with a date. Beca knew this. And this wasn't just public. This was a nationally televised event, one of the biggest award shows of the year. This was red carpet, _Entertainment Tonight_ , star-studded public. It was like the Grammys, only better. Her mouth dropped. Quinn took her chin and closed her mouth.

"Uh, yes, of course I'll go with you." Beca looked at her in utter disbelief. When she regained some sense of composure she asked, "What are you going to sing?"

Quinn gave her some of the backstory. "My manager, Bobbi, worked with the producers. It's a perfect opportunity to launch my solo career and I'll be the last performer of the night. The song choice has to be ideal. I'll be spending the next two weeks in rehearsals." She hadn't answered Beca's question.

"Uh, okay, but what are you going to sing?"

"I can't tell you. No one outside of the event is supposed to know I'm even going to be there, let alone perform. Kind of a teaser thing to hopefully amp up the ratings. As it gets closer to airing, they intend to 'leak' some rumors. Once you and I show up, all hell is going to break loose. The paps have been trying to catch me out with someone for years now. Are you sure you want to do this? Your life, and mine for that matter, will be a shitstorm of invasive media for a while. We can discuss how to deflect some of it, exclusive interviews, the late night circuit, whatever, but I want you to understand what you're signing up for."

"So, you need a date whether I go with you or not? Because of the media angle?" Beca was stung by that thought.

"No, that's not true. If you won't come with me, I'm going alone. Jesus, Beca, do you think I'd use you like that?" Quinn was hurt. Did Beca think she was that much of a dick?

For all they felt for each other, they were still learning how to communicate. It was easy enough in bed, but they still had to work on it outside that. "I'm sorry, Quinn, I misunderstood you. I know you wouldn't use me." She thought about the media issue and tried to imagine the upheaval in her life when it got out that she and Quinn were a thing. Untold number of fan's hearts were going to break at that news, most of them lesbian, and she would be the cause.

She decided she didn't care. What she did care about was Quinn and being there for her at one of the biggest moments of her career, maybe her life. Quinn had asked _her_ to share it. She realized it was a very big deal. "Miss MacKenzie, I'd be honored to be your date," she smiled up at Quinn.

Quinn exhaled. She had been holding her breath as Beca considered her request. She grinned back at Beca, delighted that she had said she would go. Then her sense of responsibility kicked in. "I'm going to talk to my security team about protecting you at home and at work once this thing gets out."

"Do you really think that's necessary? I'm nobody."

"Yes, it's necessary. I don't think it, I know it. And you're the most important _somebody_ in my life. I know it's difficult to be with me Beca, on so many levels. If I can minimize the chaos, even a little, that's what I'm going to do."

Quinn was putting Beca first, above everything else, including herself, and Beca knew it. She loved Quinn a little more right then. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around Quinn's waist, laying her head on her chest. Quinn pulled her closer, holding her tight and placing tender kisses in her hair. Beca tilted her head up, chin on Quinn's sternum. Their eyes met, "Is this another way to a woman's heart, the first date with 'wow' factored in?"

Quinn laughed, "Yeah, I hope so."

Beca smirked, "Well, it's working. It's gonna be hard to top this one on my long list of amazing first dates," her sarcasm evident.

Two weeks went by in what seemed like warp speed. Quinn was busy rehearsing and Beca working on the arrangement for "Goddess" on Quinn's EP. The only time they got to spend together was in the studio.

Finally it was the day of the show and Beca was beyond nervous. She'd gotten her hair and makeup done by mid-afternoon. Quinn was scheduled to pick her up at 5:00pm. They were hitting the red carpet at 6:00pm with the show starting at 7:00pm. Maggie, the Residual Heat receptionist, had dropped over to help Beca with her dress and final touches.

Just before 5:00pm, a black stretch limo pulled up in front of her apartment building. Quinn jumped out to go get her. When Beca answered her knock, they both stood breathless at the sight of each other.

Beca was wearing a coral, full-length halter gown with a jeweled collar and flowing skirt. An opening from between her breasts to just above her navel, revealed a hint of cleavage. Another opening in the back went from between her shoulder blades to her waist. Her hair was parted on one side and swept up into an beautiful french braid in the back. She was stunning.

Quinn wore an elegant black tuxedo with a white wing-collared shirt, black tie, onyx button studs and cufflinks. The cut of the jacket and the satin cumberbund beneath it made her legs look impossibly long. She wore black suspenders and had a white silk handkerchief in her pocket. Her athletic build and height were perfect for her evening attire. She looked very formal and very sexy.

Quinn helped Beca into the limo and once they were on their way, handed her a flute of champagne. They toasted to the night, both of them anxious but excited.

"Are you nervous about performing tonight?" Beca asked her.

"Very, maybe the most nervous I've ever been."

"Really? You're a battle-scarred veteran of arena rock, you'll be fine." Beca was trying to encourage her. "Is it because it's your first solo performance?"

"No, it has nothing to do with that."

She was trying to understand why Quinn would be so anxious. But she didn't want to make it worse by asking more questions, so she let it drop. When the limo pulled to a stop in front of the Forum in Inglewood, Quinn turned to Beca. She grabbed both her hands, pulling her closer. "Last chance," she whispered it, and placed a brief but tender kiss on her mouth.

They stepped out of the limo and Quinn ushered Beca to the red carpet with a light hand on the small of her back. The number of flashes going off was blinding, and the shouting from the crowd deafening as the media realized what they were seeing. Good photos of this could be worth a lot of money, and an answered question or a quick interview could make a career.

Beca thought she was ready. She quickly discovered she wasn't. The rush of the media and paps startled her and she staggered back into Quinn. Quinn immediately caught her, strong hands on her waist steadying her. Quinn leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I've got you baby. I won't let anything happen to you." She wanted to turn and hide her face in Quinn's chest, or better yet, have Quinn pick her up and carry her out of there like a rescued princess. _What the fuck, Beca, she thought. What cheesy fairytale did that come from?_

Quinn was under strict instructions not to talk to anyone, answer any questions, or give any interviews until the show had aired. As a result, their time on the red carpet was uncommonly brief and they were ushered to their seats. Since Quinn was performing, they were seated in the front row, center left aisle. There were steps to the stage immediately to Beca's right and a fairly wide distance between the front row and the stage itself to accomodate the cameras.

They hadn't been seated more than a minute when there was a camera on them. Quinn reached for Beca's hand and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Assume there is a camera on you at all times, because there probably is."

Beca leaned back to whisper to Quinn, "Well fuck, does that mean I can't go down on you in the aisle?" Quinn went scarlet from her collar to her ears. She beamed at Beca, and her eyes sparkled as she tried to stifle her laughter. They relaxed a little after that and settled in for the show.

Two hours later, a producer signaled Quinn during a commercial break that it was time for her to head back stage. She raised Beca's hand to her lips and gave her a wink. "See you in a bit, then I promise the real fun will start."

"Tease," Beca smirked.

When the show returned from commercial, the stage went pitch black. A spot to the far left shone on the host, "Ladies and gentlemen, Quinn MacKenzie." The spot went out and another one, larger, came on center stage front, illuminating Quinn seated on a stool. She had one foot on the stool rail and one on the floor, more leaning on it than sitting. Her jacket was open now and her tie hung loosely around her collar. Her head was down and she held a hand mic.

A full orchestra, heavy with strings, started the haunting melody of "Writing's on the Wall". Quinn looked directly into Beca's eyes, reminding her of when they met at the Grammys and continuing Quinn's tradition of singing directly to someone. But the someone was her, again. It was the first time in Quinn's career she had sung to the same woman twice, and it would not go unnoticed by the fans or the media. She was sending a message. Her sultry alto picked up the first verse, her eyes never leaving Beca's.

 _I've been here before_

 _But always hit the floor_

 _I've spent a lifetime running_

 _and I always get away_

 _but with you I'm feeling something_

 _That makes me want to stay_

 _I'm prepared for this_

 _I never shoot to miss_

 _but I feel like a storm is coming_

 _If I'm gonna make it through the day_

 _Then there's no more use in running_

 _This is something I gotta face_

Beca's heart was in her throat. The lyrics were so perfectly Quinn, they might have been written by her to Beca specifically.

 _If I risk it all_

 _Could you break my fall?_

 _How do I live? How do I breathe?_

 _When you're not here, I'm suffocating_

 _I want to feel love, run through my blood_

 _Tell me is this where I give it all up?_

 _For you I have to risk it all_

 _'Cause the writing's on the wall_

At the second verse, Quinn moved off the stool and walked down the nearest stairs to stand in front of Beca a few feet away. Beca could feel the passion coming off Quinn in waves. It was passion for the music and for the lyrics, but it was, above all, passion for her. Quinn was surrendering her heart to Beca, live, in front of a national audience, confessing her love as if the two of them were alone together. It was raw and emotional and intimate all at the same time.

 _A million shards of glass_

 _That haunt me from my past_

 _As the stars begin to gather_

 _And the light begins to fade_

 _When all hope begins to shatter_

 _Know that I won't be afraid._

 _If I risk it all_

 _Could you break my fall?_

 _How do I live? How do I breathe?_

 _When you're not here, I'm suffocating_

 _I want to feel love, run through my blood_

 _Tell me is this where I give it all up?_

 _For you I have to risk it all_

 _'Cause the writing's on the wall_

 _The writing's on the wall_

By the end of the second verse, Quinn's eyes were glassy but she never broke from Beca's gaze. She took a step forward and Beca stood. Quinn took her hand.

 _How do I live? How do I breathe?_

 _When you're not here, I'm suffocating_

 _I want to feel love, run through my blood_

 _Tell me is this where I give it all up?_

 _How do I live? How do I breathe?_

 _When you're not here, I'm suffocating_

 _I want to feel love, run through my blood_

 _Tell me is this where I give it all up?_

 _For you I have to risk it all_

 _'Cause the writing's on the wall_

Tears were falling freely down Quinn's beautiful face as she finished the most emotional song of her young life. Still she held Beca's gaze. She had done what she had wanted to do for so very long, she let go. "I love you," she whispered. Beca fell into her arms.

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Writing's on the Wall - sung by Sam Smith; written by Smith, Napes; produced by Napes, Fitzmaurice, Disclosure


	17. Witness

Chloe had idly tuned into the MTV Music Awards. She liked award shows, and she would use anything to distract her from thinking about Beca and what might have been. She hadn't seen any of the red carpet footage, and like virtually all of the viewing audience, didn't know Quinn MacKenzie would be performing, or that Beca would be her date. It was so noteworthy in the music industry, that the camera panned to the couple often. It wasn't long before Chloe saw them.

As recognition hit her like a hammer, she grabbed a throw pillow to her chest and doubled over. The site broke her. Beca looked more beautiful than she'd ever seen her. Quinn was holding her hand. Chloe couldn't look away, even as she cried into the pillow. She watched the show, knowing she should turn it off, if for nothing but her own sanity. But she longed to see Beca on screen again. Suddenly, there she was, seated alone now. The camera went back to a pitch black stage with a single spot on Quinn.

Like everyone else that saw it, she could feel the emotion Quinn poured into the song. The camera was moving between Quinn's performance and a closeup shot of Beca watching her. At times, it was a split screen. It was excruciating for Chloe. When Quinn moved to the floor to stand in front of Beca, it was evident to Chloe and everyone else that Quinn was deeply in love with her. For Chloe, it was like watching a train wreck, and she was on the train. At the end, she saw Quinn mouth "I love you" to Beca, and saw Beca fall into Quinn's arms. It destroyed her. The sobs wracking her body were deep and frequent, she couldn't catch her breath.

When she had told Beca to 'go for it', a small voice in the back of her mind kept telling her it wouldn't happen, couldn't happen. It was Beca, _her_ Beca. Now she felt like even that small hope was gone. She turned off the set and drug herself to bed. Once there, she spooned with her pillow, like she had with Beca so many times, and cried herself to sleep. It would be the first of many nights like that.

During the commercial break after Quinn's performance, she and Beca quickly made their way out of the venue. Quinn had texted their driver on the way out and as they exited the building, the car was waiting. They jumped in and sped off before the media had a chance to crush them. Quinn directed the driver to take them to her estate as she drew Beca close to her.

Beca was still an emotional wreck. She pulled Quinn down into her embrace and Quinn wrapped warm arms around her, burying her face in the crook of her neck. Beca had never felt so loved in her life. Quinn had given everything she had in the song. Her talent, her strength, her trust and, yes, her heart. She had done it so publicly, not caring that her feelings for Beca were on display for the world to see. Her performance had been the absolute antithesis of her image. The world expected to see the swaggering rock star, jealously guarding her privacy to the point of paranoia. Instead they'd seen an open, emotional, vulnerable woman desperately in love with Beca. It was hard for Beca to wrap her head around the courage that had taken. She was overwhelmed with gratitude for what Quinn had given her.

Quinn pulled away and gazed into dark blue eyes, brimming with tears and pupils blown black. Her throat was constricted as she forced herself not to cry again. She smiled at Beca, shyly, which was not an emotion Quinn would normally show. But she wasn't the same person she had been, even a day ago. The rock star was gone, the fear was gone, the longing was gone. She let go of all that and handed Beca what she had left. She surrendered her heart, freely, willingly and committed herself to Beca.

Beca took Quinn's face in her hands, pulling her into the most loving kiss she'd ever given Quinn, or anyone for that matter. Quinn's love was fragile, raw and new. Beca wanted to protect it, nuture it until it was strong enough to stand on it's own. When Beca broke away, Quinn brushed the tears from her cheeks.

They arrived at the house and went directly to Quinn's room. They didn't speak until they were naked together in Quinn's bed, holding each other, arms and legs intertwined, Beca's head on Quinn's chest. They were both lost in the magnitude of their feelings for each other, wanting only to be in that moment, together.

Quinn was first to break the quiet. "How long have you known that I'm in love with you?"

"Really known? Since the day you sang 'Goddess' to me. How long have you known?"

"Since the day you told me that you weren't afraid." Quinn's voice was barely a whisper. "Do you have any idea how long I've needed you? I've looked for you in thousands of faces, hundreds of embraces, across three continents and nearly every state in the union. I didn't think I'd ever find you. I thought I'd been condemned to a purgatory of all the wrong women. I'd finally convinced myself that you didn't exisit, that you were my insane, unattainable vision of perfection, my elusive redemption. And, finally, here you are. And it feels like I've loved you forever."

Beca pulled Quinn on top of her. She wanted to make love to Quinn. Not have sex like they had been, but truly make love to her. She wanted to give herself over, surrender and submit to the depth of Quinn's passion. She wanted to feel Quinn inside her, possesive and deep. She wanted Quinn to claim her, to own her. She wanted to feel like she belonged to Quinn and only to her.

Quinn hovered over her, leaning on her elbows, hips between Beca's legs. She gazed into Beca's cobalt eyes and felt legs wrap around her thighs. Arms encircled her back and fingertips trailed down until hands pulled her hips closer. She rocked forward and felt slick heat beneath her. She closed her eyes at the sensation of Beca wanting her. She dipped into a passionate kiss, letting Beca's tongue enter and fill her until she couldn't breathe. "Beca.."

"I need to feel you inside me, baby. Please Quinn." Quinn moaned into her neck, raised her hips and slid her hand down between them. Beca felt her touch and arched to meet her, felt strong fingers enter slowly, deliberately, filling her. She gasped at the sensation, felt Quinn open her and stretch her. Quinn had one arm around her shoulders, forehead pressed to Beca's as she slowly drug her fingers back, curling as she partially withdrew, then pushing forward into the thrust. Her tempo picked up and Beca felt the touch of her thumb, sliding over her, teasing and swirling with each drive of Quinn's fingers into her.

Beca was throbbing with need. Her legs released Quinn's waist as she tilted her hips upward and spread wider for Quinn, changing the angle and allowing Quinn to go deeper and higher. Beca moaned low in her throat and threw her head back into the pillows when Quinn responded by increasing her pace and intensity. Beca's nails were raking Quinn's back when her mouth found her shoulder and clamped down, stifling a whimper as another curl and then thrust pushed her higher. She felt the pressure intensify between her legs, spreading through her, her climax building. Quinn felt it too, felt Beca clench around her, her walls pulsing, releasing, then clenching again. Beca moaned in her ear, "Oh god, baby, I'm so close. Don't stop Quinn."

Quinn thrust again, felt Beca clench and hold her, and she pushed hard into Beca's g-spot and held her fingers there as her thumb swirled and pressed. Beca arched into her, body rigid as her orgasm hit. She screamed Quinn's name as she bucked against Quinn's hand over and over. Quinn continued to press into her, holding her curled fingers hard into the right place, sliding her thumb over swollen flesh until she felt Beca release her fingers and relax into her arms.

Beca captured Quinn's mouth with her own, feeling Quinn's tongue slide between her lips and enter her again. She slid down away from the headboard and tugged at Quinn's hips until Quinn realized what she wanted. Quinn moved up, on her knees now, straddling Beca's ribs. Beca, still on her back, slid further down between Quinn's legs and raised her head to kiss the soft skin on the inside of her thighs.

Quinn instinctively grabbed the headboard to steady herself. She felt arms wrap around her legs to hold her still. She felt her hips pulled down gently and then felt Beca's tongue stroke through her. She moaned at the sensation of Beca's mouth on her, her tongue pushing into her, then withdrawing and pushing in again. Beca's tongue was soft at first, teasing and circling, then finding what she wanted and flicking, quick and rough.

Quinn was looking down between her arms, watching Beca ravage her. She knew she had to be still for this, and she gripped the headboard harder, desperate to anchor herself. Her legs were trembling as Beca picked up her pace and pressure. She cried out Beca's name soft and low as Beca entered her with two fingers and continued to flick her tongue faster and harder.

Her orgasm was coming fast now and when she felt Beca take her into her mouth, sucking hard, teeth grazing, she exploded. She held herself steady as her back arched and her body froze at the peak of her climax. Beca was still inside her, thrusting now and curling her fingers as Quinn rode out spasm after spasm.

When her orgasm ebbed, she fell into Beca's arms, sprawled over her body with her face in the crook of Beca's neck. Beca held her close, stroking her back. Quinn took a deep breath, then broke. She sobbed into Beca's neck letting go of all the pain, the loneliness, the stress and longing. Beca held her, rocked her, whispered to her. "Shh, baby, it's okay. I'm right here Quinn. You're okay, I'm here now."


	18. Reunion

After two days and nights of crying herself to sleep, Chloe made a decision. She decided to fight. She couldn't just let Beca go, she had loved her too long and needed her too much to give up. Now that she knew that Beca _could_ love a woman, she realized the playing field had been leveled. Her competition was another woman, and Chloe _knew_ how to compete.

She had a tinge of guilt because Beca was obviously in a relationship now, but she reasoned it was only because Beca didn't know how she felt about her, really felt about her. She decided to go with her original plan and reveal her feelings to Beca at the Bellas reunion. If Beca decided to stay with Quinn after that, Chloe would let go, but not until.

In the weeks between the awards show and the Bellas reunion, Beca and Quinn had to deal with a maelstrom of media attention. Quinn had rightfully anticipated most of it. She convinced Beca to stay sequestered at her estate for a couple weeks, working out of her private studio while Quinn dealt with the press. She appeared on a couple late night shows and granted one exclusive interview. It wasn't Beca's fight and Quinn was determined to protect her from it. Of course, battling a common enemy drew them even closer.

They were finishing the track for 'Goddess' and had begun working on 'Writing's on the Wall', adding it to the song list for the EP. It was nearly mandatory that it be included. It seemed like everyone, from fans to their label to major retailers were clamoring for them to release it as a single. It was certain that track alone would guarantee the success of the EP.

Beca never tired of hearing Quinn sing the haunting melody, and Quinn was happy to oblige her as they worked to get it perfect. They toyed with the idea of recording it as a duet, then decided against it, reasoning that people wanted to hear it as Quinn had performed it. The enire project was coming together and they only needed one more song to make it complete.

One morning, as they were taking a break, Beca brought up the Bellas reunion. "I think I might of mentioned this a while back, but I'm flying to Atlanta in another week."

"You are?" Quinn asked, it was the first time she'd heard it. "Is it something for Residual Heat?"

"Oh, no...it's a Bellas reunion. I thought I told you. I'm sorry, Quinn, things have been so crazy. I'll be gone four days."

"That's great, babe. You need some downtime with your girls. Get out of here for a while, and enjoy being 'Beca Effing Mitchell' instead of 'Quinn's girlfriend'." She put air quotes around the last bit, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

"I like being 'Quinn's girlfriend'," Beca mimicked, "in case you haven't noticed that. She really knows the way to a woman's heart."

Quinn laughed out loud at that, gathering Beca into her arms and placing a soft kiss on her neck. "Hmm...lucky for me."

"Can I trust you to behave yourself while I'm gone?" Beca was teasing, but Quinn was stung by the comment. She looked at Beca like she'd been punched in the gut.

"Really? You can say that to me?"

Beca instantly realized her mistake and hurried to grab Quinn and pull her close. "Baby, I'm sorry. That was thoughtless of me. Quinn, I trust you, I do. I was just playing, I didn't mean it the way it sounded. Forgive me? Please?" Quinn locked her gaze with Beca's. Of course Quinn forgave her without a second thought.

Beca landed in Atlanta a week later and rented a car. It felt like she was coming home, and in a very real sense, she was. As she drove the hour to Barden, she thought about the reunion that was a day away. She was beside herself with excitement to see everyone. The rest of the girls would be in tomorrow, but she knew Chloe was already at the Bella House waiting for her.

They would have some time alone before everyone else got there, and Beca couldn't wait to see Chloe. She missed her bestie so much and wanted to share everything that had been going on over a glass of wine or three. It was Chloe who had gently nudged her toward Quinn after all, and it had changed her life.

She didn't have to knock, Chloe was waiting by the front door as she pulled up and parked her car. Chloe ran to her, hurling into Beca's arms, lifting her and spinning her around. Beca clung to her neck for dear life, giggling at Chloe's happiness to see her. Chloe was always enthusiatic, but this was beyond even that. Chloe was crying, happy tears she said, and Beca's eyes welled up too. They held each other, right outside the Bella House, both reluctant to let go. Beca broke away first.

"Are you gonna help me with my bags weirdo, or are we just gonna make out right here in front of the house?"

Chloe was a little shocked at the comment, but secretly pleased. "C'mon dork," she grinned, "you're staying in my room."

"I am?" Beca was surprised. She had assumed she would be in her old room with Amy.

"Yeah, you are," Chloe answered her, "I want you all to myself." Chloe was flirting, obviously so, and didn't care. Beca laughed and figured it wasn't a bad idea. She thought they'd be up talking into the wee hours of the morning anyway, they had so much to catch up on. Plus they could cuddle and spoon just like they used to.

Beca followed Chloe up to her room where they deposited Beca's luggage. Holding her arms open with the brilliant smile on her face she knew Beca couldn't resist, Chloe flopped onto her bed and patted the mattress for Beca to join her. Launching herself across the room, Beca jumped into Chloe's embrace. They both got the giggles at her antics. Beca rolled off Chloe and they laid, side by side, looking up at the ceiling.

"Are you tired? Do you wanna take a nap?" Chloe asked. She knew Beca didn't like to travel and it had already been a long day for her, even though it was only mid-afternoon.

"I'm not going to be snoozing away this weekend while you have fun without me, Beale." She tried to sound grumpy but didn't quite pull it off.

"I could use one too, actually," Chloe offered. "Let's take a short one, then we can have dinner and watch a movie."

Beca rolled her eyes, "I see some things haven't changed much." She gave Chloe a smirk. Chloe shrugged and laid down, pulling Beca in to spoon with her. Beca laid facing away and Chloe snuggled into her back, her arms around Beca's waist and her chin over her shoulder. Beca could feel her breath on her neck. _God I missed this_ Beca thought, her eyes getting heavier as the warmth from Chloe's body surrounded her. It felt so comfortable, so familiar that it wasn't long before she was breathing deep and steady, sound asleep.

Chloe was still awake, listening to her breathe. The scent of her brought back a flood of memories of similar nights, before life got in the way and everything changed. Her own eyes drifted shut as she relived those happy times in her mind. She fell asleep smiling, dreaming of what used to be.

Beca stirred beside her and Chloe woke. It was dusk, they had slept for five hours. She propped herself on one elbow, pulling Beca closer and watched her sleep. Beca looked so peaceful and so vulnerable lying there in her arms. She would never tire of moments like this. She leaned in and kissed Beca softly on the cheek, right in front of her ear. "Wake up sleepy head," she whispered.

Beca groaned and rolled over onto her back, still wrapped in Chloe's embrace. "Hmm.. do I have to?" Beca whined, opening her eyes and looking up into bright blue ones. She yawned and stretched, then held the hand of the arm around her waist. She hadn't slept so well in awhile and guessed the stress of the past few weeks had finally caught up with her.

"Yes, you have to grumpy cat." Chloe grinned at her. "If we sleep anymore, we'll never get to bed tonight. Besides I'm starving."

At the mention of food, Beca's stomach growled. "You're right, I'm hungry too. How about we order a pizza and stay in."

"Perfect," Chloe chirped, "I was hoping you'd say that. And I get to pick the movie."

They demolished the pizza and had already watched one movie, sitting side by side on the couch and leaning into each other, shoulders and thighs touching. Chloe sat up to empty the last of the wine into their glasses, handing one to Beca.

As the credits were rolling on the movie, she figured now was as good a time as any to bring up the subject she had been avoiding all evening. Beca fell away from Chloe, laying her head back against the armrest and putting her legs across Chloe's lap. "You haven't mentioned Quinn. How are things between you two?" She wasn't sure she wanted the answer, but she had to ask.

"Oh, uh, we're good, really good." Beca wasn't sure why, but now that she was face to face with Chloe, she wasn't all that comfortable talking about Quinn.

"Her performance on MTV was pretty amazing Beca. You guys have been all over entertainment media."

"Oh, you saw that did you?" Beca squirmed a little. "Yeah, Quinn's an amazing woman."

"And you looked absolutely gorgeous that night."

"You know, if it hadn't been for you telling me to 'go for it', I probably wouldn't have been there that night and Quinn and I wouldn't be a thing now. I have you to thank for that Chlo."

Chloe felt the lump rise in her throat and beat it back with a cough. "I don't know about that Becs, it looked to me like she adores you."

"She does," Beca admitted. Her expression was soft when she thought about how much Quinn loved her.

"Do you feel the same way about her? You seemed pretty crazy about her too." Chloe had to know if what she saw, what everyone saw that night, was real.

There was a long pause as Beca thought about how to respond. She didn't know why she hestitated, but it seemed that _how_ she answered would be consequential to both of them. So she evaded the question with one of her own. "Why is that important to you, Chloe?"

It was the turning point, the fork in the road for Chloe. "Because I love you Beca." There it was, she said it, there was no turning back now. She had said it many times before, but not like this, not in this context. It had taken all her courage to say it, finally, but she didn't have enough courage left to look at Beca while she said it. She was looking down at her hands, folded over Beca's knees on her lap. She heard Beca inhale, not sharply, but a barely audible intake of breath, and then there was silence.

When the quiet went on just a heartbeat too long to be comfortable, Chloe's curiousity got the better of her and she looked up into Beca's eyes. Beca was staring at her, a look on her face Chloe had never seen and couldn't possibly read. Beca blinked, then blew out the breath she'd been holding. "I love you too, Chlo."

The tension between them had been drawn to the breaking point, and Chloe couldn't take anymore. She moved Beca's legs off her lap, almost as if she were going to stand, but instead shifted to her knees, straddling Beca's hips and leaned over her, bent at the elbows, her lips over Beca's, barely out of reach. Her gaze drifted from Beca's eyes, down to her mouth, and back again, but Beca didn't move. Chloe closed the distance between them, slowly. She felt Beca's breath on her mouth and saw Beca close her eyes. Chloe connected them in a kiss so delicate and so filled with longing that the brush of her lips on Beca's was almost painful with need.

She moved away, the kiss hadn't been brief. She opened her eyes and met Beca's dark blue ones. Chloe searched them, trying to decipher Beca's reaction, praying that their friendship could overcome it, if she had just made the biggest mistake of her life.

Beca took Chloe's face in her hands and pulled her back into another kiss and there was no misinterpreting this one. It was crushing, desperate. Beca's lips parted, inviting Chloe to deepen the kiss. She brushed Beca's lips with her tongue, then entered, years of yearning palpable in her touch.

Her body betrayed her. She hadn't intended to make any of this sexual, but she simply couldn't stop herself. Her weight dropped onto Beca's body and her hips rocked forward when she felt legs wrap around her thighs. Beca moaned into the kiss and she pushed forward again, her arousal already building.

And suddenly, it was over. Beca pushed Chloe away and off her with hands on her shoulders. "I, I'm sorry...I can't do this Chlo." She sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on her knees and head in her hands. She didn't look at Chloe. Chloe straightened herself, smoothing her rumpled shirt and ran fingers through her hair. They both were breathing hard, mostly from the effort it took to break their embrace.

"I'm sorry." Chloe whispered it, terrified that she had ruined everything they had built together over the years in one moment of weakness.

"Don't. Just don't." Beca's voice was biting. _Now, she thought, now she let's me know?_ Once again, their timing couldn't have been worse. Beca was sick of it, beyond frustration. "Listen Chloe, I'm going to take a shower. I'll sleep in my old room tonight. I need time to think, we can talk about this tomorrow." She left Chloe sitting on the couch and trudged up the stairs.


	19. Party

Beca couldn't sleep. She tried to get comfortable in her old bed, tried to will herself to sleep, but it was useless. She thought about calling Quinn, then decided she really couldn't talk to her right now. What would she say? _I'm having a great time and oh, by the way, I kissed Chloe. On the mouth. And I liked it, a lot._

She thought about the fact that as soon as she felt Chloe press into her, she wanted more. Her arousal had flashed and then pooled between her legs and stayed there. It was still there, taunting her while Chloe was one floor down, alone in her bed, clearly feeling the same thing.

Why the fuck now? Why couldn't this have happened before she left for LA? They had had plenty of opportunity over the years. They both were to blame for that unfortunate reality. They both had been in denial, skirting the issue until circumstance drove them apart. Now it was too late. Wasn't it?

Chloe wasn't sleeping either. As soon as she climbed into bed, she grabbed her pillow to spoon with it as she had done on so many nights recently. She cried softly, not wanting Beca to hear her. The feeling of Beca's lips on hers, Beca's tongue in her mouth, how her body arched to meet Chloe's tentative thrusts was still too raw for her to push down and ignore.

God how she loved Beca. It was undeniable for her now. Although the ending was not what she had hoped for, Beca hadn't totally rejected her. She hadn't said no. They would talk about it tomorrow. She didn't blame Beca for needing to process everything. She had, after all, kind of ambushed her with what she felt. Beca hadn't seen it coming. But then, why hadn't she? This was years in the making, she couldn't possibly be that naive, could she? And Beca's response to that first tender kiss blew Chloe's mind. Had she been in the same place Chloe had been, denying her feelings for the sake of friendship?

Beca woke disoriented, not knowing where she was exactly. When she realized she was in her old room at the Bella House, she grabbed her phone and checked the time. It was already past 11:00am and she heard soft voices coming from downstairs. Then everything from the previous night hit her like a freight train. She still didn't know how to deal with it all and Chloe was expecting some kind of conversation about it. Obviously they needed to talk, but Beca still didn't fully understand it, especially how she felt, how she had reacted. She certainly didn't know what to do. She did know _something_ had to be done, or said, or whatever. She got up and pulled on a pair of sweats and a fresh t-shirt and headed for the kitchen.

Chloe had been up a while, and really hadn't gotten more than an hour or so of restless sleep. When she made it downstairs and put on the coffee, she remembered that Fat Amy and Stacie were due in early. She barely finished showering and dressing when she heard a soft rap on their door.

"What up Red?" Fat Amy bellowed as she slammed through the door into Chloe's arms. "I've missed you like a 'roo misses its mama's pouch."

"Shhh, Beca's still asleep you guys," she shushed them, grabbing Stacie into a big hug. "I've missed you guys too, so much, you have no idea." She was grinning ear to ear, that beautiful Beale smile, but it didn't touch her eyes and both Amy and Stacie noticed.

"Stace, if you want to take your stuff up to your old room, go ahead, but please be quiet. Beca and I were up really late and with the travel, she's beat. Amy, your stuff will have to wait until she wakes up."

"How's she doing?" asked Stacie. "Did she go all Hollywood yet with her rock star girlfriend and all?"

Chloe's smile dropped a little. "Oh no, still the same old sarcastic alt-girl we fell in love with."

"You mean you fell in love with don't ya, Red." It was typical Amy, straight to the jugular.

"Amy, she's practically engaged, haven't you been paying attention to the tabloids?" Chloe tried to sound upbeat, but the conversation was causing her to realize what a huge hurdle was in front of them.

"That really doesn't mean anything and you know it Chloe," Stacie said. "The whole performance at the MTV Music Awards could of been staged to boost ratings and sell Quinn's EP. Beca is her producer after all."

Chloe had never considered that. Being the honest and open person that she was, it was hard for her to imagine people being deliberately misleading. She immediately dismissed it and said so. "Beca would never do that, Stacie. You know her better than that. Besides, we've talked about it a little."

Stacie grabbed her bags to take them upstairs, "Just sayin'. It's not impossible," she said over her shoulder.

Amy took a seat at the kitchen table after grabbing a coffee. "Glad I was already in the States, I hate flying anymore. When are the rest of the aca-bitches due to show up?"

Stacie reappeared as Chloe was answering. "They should all be trickling in this morning and early afternoon. Tonight we're going to have an epic Bella party here at the house. Tomorrow we hit the club!"

"Sounds great, Chloe" Stacie gave her another appreciative hug. "Thanks for setting all this up. Now, about you and Beca."

"What about us? We're good." Chloe lied and Stacie knew it.

"Don't bullshit me Chloe. Did you finally tell her how you feel or did you chicken out again?"

"Yeah, Chloe," Amy chimed in, "you need to get on with it before it really is too late."

Both her friends knew what had been going on since Beca had left for LA. She had needed someone to talk to. She needed help facing her feelings for Beca, facing her fears and, ultimately, to talk about Beca's relationship with Quinn. They also knew that the timing of this reunion was critical for their friends' future happiness.

"Well, uh..." Chloe started, "we're going to talk about it some more today, I hope."

"So you have told her then?" Stacie asked.

"Yeah, I did, but it's complicated Stace."

"More bullshit, Chloe. You love her, you told her. What did she say?"

"C'mon, Red," Amy added, "we're in this with you, you know."

"She said..," Chloe began, then couldn't continue. Her voice caught in her throat and a quiet sob hitched her shoulders. Stacie took her in her arms.

Chloe cried into her shoulder. "She said she loved me too, but then she pushed me away again and said we'd talk about it today." She got hold of herself then and wiped her tears, fearing Beca might come down any second.

"She didn't say no then did she? There's still a chance she'll come to her senses," Amy offered.

"Jesus, Amy, this is Beca we're talking about," Stacie added. "She's the most block-headed, stubborn person I know sometimes. We're gonna have to make sure she does what she needs to do to make both of you happy. Finally."

"No, Stacie, please don't do anything," Chloe pleaded. "Let me handle it in my own way, please. I can't lose her forever. If all she can give me is her friendship, I'll take it, but please, don't do anything."

"Do what, Chloe?" Beca's voice coming down the stairs startled all of them.

"Make one of my famous concoctions for tonight's party! Hey, Shawshank!" Amy's quick thinking had gotten them off the hook. She charged over and met Beca as she came down, pulling her into a huge bearhug and lifting her off her feet.

"Put me down bitch!" Beca laughed as Amy set her feet safely on the floor. Beca hugged her back then went to Stacie and wrapped her in a hug too. "I missed you awesome nerds." Her eyes were glassy as she looked at her former Bellas.

"We missed you too, shortstack, though I'm shocked that you even remember us common folk with the crowd you've been running with lately." Amy's voice was teasing, but she kept a straight face.

"Shut it, Amy," Beca warned, giving her the Mitchell glare. "I'll never forget you guys and you know it." She glanced at Chloe, who had been watching her, and gave her a small smile. "Morning Chlo."

"Morning Becs," Chloe replied, "Want some coffee?"

"Hell, yes." Beca grumped. There was a rap on the door and Chloe squealed as she ran to open it. On the porch stood Ashley, Jessica, Flo and Cynthia Rose. Lily was hiding behind the bushes while Aubrey was parking a van on the street. Finally, they were all together again, hugging and laughing like they'd just won another ICCA championship.

They spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon getting reacquainted and catching up on each other's lives. Early on, Aubrey asked Beca about Quinn, wanting to know how things were going between them. It was an innocent enough question, one that most friends would ask when they hadn't seen each other in a while. And, given the publicity Beca's relationship with Quinn had garnered, it was understandable her friends would ask.

Beca shut the line of questioning down immediately. "I'm here to celebrate with the Bellas, not talk about tabloids and rumors and my personal life." She said it lightheartedly, but everyone knew not to ask anything more. They knew Beca had always been guarded about divulging details about herself, and this was no different. The truth was Beca didn't want to talk about Quinn until she'd had a chance to talk to Chloe about what happened the night before. So far, they hadn't had a moment alone.

By 4:00pm, the drinking had begun in earnest, and by 7:00pm, most of them had a good buzz going. As promised, Amy delivered one of her concoctions in a punch bowl. They all went to the kitchen table to grab a solo cup full of the stuff, returning to the living room to begin a game of Truth or Dare.

Chloe went to the kitchen to gather up snacks and Beca followed shortly after, having no intention on participating in the game. The group watched them go and traded knowing glances, leaving them alone for a few minutes.

Chloe was standing at the counter, leaning forward on her hands with her head down. Her hair cascaded around her face in auburn curls, obscuring her expression. She looked a little defeated. Beca came up behind her and placed a hand on the small of her back. "You okay there, Chlo?"

When Chloe turned to face her, they were standing close, closer than friends, further than lovers. "Hey, Becs," she said, looking into Beca's eyes, "I'm fine, guess I'm just feeling the alcohol a little." Beca held her gaze for a moment longer. Whether it was the alcohol coursing through her own veins, or something else, Beca started to lean in, then stopped and retreated. "Sorry we haven't had a chance to talk, maybe later?"

"Yeah, later," Chloe agreed quickly, "help me with these snacks?"

When they returned with various bags and bowls of munchies, Beca and Chloe sat across the room from each other, which didn't go unnoticed by Amy and Stacie. Stacie caught Amy's eyes and frowned, to which Amy just shook her head subtley.

By 9:00pm, all of them were hammered, except Chloe. She had deliberately slowed down after her encounter with Beca in the kitchen and still had most of her cup of Amy's poison, only sipping it occasionally. Beca, on the other hand, had downed two solo cups worth and was working on her third. By this point she couldn't stand on her own without staggering. Her insides began their protest shortly after that and she ran to the bathroom, nearly falling over Lily, who was apparently passed out on the floor. Chloe went after her. Beca fell to her knees in front of the toilet and threw up, Chloe just in time to hold her hair back.

After dry heaving for what felt like forever, she looked up at Chloe, bleary eyed, pale and sweating. "Oh Chloe, I'm sooo drunk," she slurred, as if Chloe had no idea that she was.

"I know, babe," Chloe helped her up to lean against the sink. "Let's get you cleaned up and then to bed, okay?"

Beca agreed, having absolutely no idea what she had just agreed to. Chloe dumped the contents of her solo cup down the drain, rinsed it, and filled it half way with clean water. "Here, rinse your mouth out." As Beca was trying to navigate that simple task, Chloe grabbed a washcloth and ran cool water through it. She rung the excess water out and began wiping Beca's face, holding her chin up and brushing her hair behind her ears.

Beca closed her eyes as Chloe ran the cool cloth over her forehead and across her cheeks, eventually over her lips and chin. "Chlo?"

"Yeah, Becs."

"I love you so much, Chloe."

Chloe's heart tightened in her chest. "I know Beca, I love you too." Her voice was matter of fact when she said it, knowing Beca was so drunk she wouldn't remember it the next day.

"You're so good to me, Chlo. I don't deserve someone like you."

"C'mon, Becs, let's get you to bed."

"Can I stay with you tonight? In your bed?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. You're really drunk."

"Please, Chloe, I need you. I need you tonight."

That statement was hard for Chloe to take, really hard. Her eyes filled with tears. "C'mon Beca, let's go." She helped Beca up the two flights of stairs to her old room. She wasn't comfortable taking her clothes off of her, so she laid her down on her bed fully dressed and pulled off her boots. She made sure Beca had a trash can in case she needed to throw up again, and was covering Beca with a quilt when Beca reached up, taking her by the shoulders and pulling her down into her arms. Beca held her tight, arms around Chloe's neck. "I miss you so much Chlo," she whispered it in Chloe's ear. Chloe pulled away and stood, then bent over and placed a kiss on Beca's forehead.

"Sleep tight, Becs," she whispered back and left to find her own room.


	20. The Club

No one was up before 11:00am the following morning. They all had terrific hangovers, except Chloe, of course. She set to playing mom to all of them, making coffee, dispensing Advil and bottled water, making sure they didn't suffer any more than they had to. Everyone was accounted for and on their way to recovery by 12:30pm, except Beca.

"Amy," Chloe asked, "was Beca okay when you got up this morning? I'm getting worried about her."

"Of course you are, Red. There was a lump in her bed, but that's all I remember," Amy replied, holding an ice pack to her forehead. "Maybe you should check on her." Amy found the energy to wink at her.

"Yeah, I think I will," she said. The rest of the girls watched her climb the steps, while Stacie crossed her fingers and caught Amy's eyes. Amy nodded her head, then winced with the motion.

When Chloe got to the room, the door was ajar, but the blinds were still drawn. She rapped on the door lightly and when there was no response, she tip-toed to Beca's bed. She watched Beca sleeping for a minute, then sat down on the edge of the bed and touched her lightly on the shoulder. Beca was facing away from her, toward the wall. "Beca, are you okay?"

She knew Beca wouldn't want to sleep the day away and miss being with all the Bellas. When Beca didn't move, she touched her shoulder again, shaking her a bit. "Beca? Hey, wake up. We're all waiting for you downstairs."

Beca groaned. She rolled over onto her back and her hands immediately went to the sides of her head. "Oh my god, I have the worst fucking headache ever."

Chloe chuckled softly, "I'm sure you do, weirdo. Here, drink some water and take this Advil."

Beca tried to sit up and immediately dropped her head back to the pillow with another groan. "C'mon Becs, you can do it." Beca tried again and managed to make it, leaning against the headboard. She still hadn't opened her eyes.

Chloe took her hands, one at a time, and placed two Advil in one and an uncapped bottle of water in the other. "Chloe, why did you let me do that? You're supposed to take care of me."

Chloe rolled her eyes, she thought Beca might still be a little drunk. "Beca, you're a big girl, you should be able to take care of yourself by now." Beca finally opened her eyes, just enough to see Chloe and take her Advil. She looked awful. Chloe felt bad for her but there wasn't much more she could do. Beca was going to have to tough this one out on her own.

"You'll feel better after you shower and get something to eat."

"Yeah, you're right. Shower first. Then eat." Beca was awake enough now to smirk at Chloe. "Care to join me? You know, like you did when you barged into my shower in the dorm."

"What?" Chloe's eyes widened. "You did not just say that." Chloe knew Beca was playing around so she went with it. Beca grinned at her, then winced. Chloe chuckled and patted her on the knee. "I'll see you downstairs. Hurry up, the rest of the girls are waiting on you."

They all spent the rest of the day just hanging out at the Bella House, watching movies and recovering from their hangovers. By the time pizzas were delivered at 5:00pm, they were good as new, ready to go clubbing. Since there were ten of them and only two bathrooms, it was going to take a while for everyone to get ready.

Beca was one of the first to be ready. She wore all black, black tank, which showed a fair amout of her cleavage, black skinny jeans, black boots and a biker jacket. She and the rest of the girls eventually were waiting on Chloe.

When Chloe came down the stairs, Beca's mouth dropped. Chloe was wearing a white scoop neck shirt, off one shoulder that bared her midriff and showed off her toned abs, dark wash skinny jeans that sat low on her hips with a silver studded belt and black boots to her knees. Her fiery tresses were loose over her shoulders and she had on silver drop earrings.

"Looking pretty sexy there, Red," Amy quipped when she saw the look on Beca's face.

CJ chimed in, "Yeah, Chloe, you look hot."

"Thanks you guys," she glanced at Beca and winked.

The club they decided on wasn't fancy, they had partied there many times during college, it was one of their favorites. They weren't in the club ten minutes when the DJ recognized the group and cued up "The Sign". Aubrey went nuts and convinced them all to rehash their old Bellas routine on the dance floor.

A couple drinks in, Chloe was asked to dance by a hot guy that vaguely resembled Tom. Beca watched them take the dance floor, but when he grabbed Chloe by her bare waist from behind and Chloe began to grind on the guy, she couldn't watch anymore.

"What's the matter, Shawshank, green monster showing its ugly head?" Amy wanted to push Beca in the right direction.

Beca glared at her, "I don't know what you're talking about Amy."

"C'mon, Beca," Amy said, "I'm not blind, none of us are. We've watched you and Chloe dance around each other for years. When the hell are you gonna grow a pair and do something about it?"

Beca was stunned. "Amy, I have a girlfriend."

"Yeah, so I heard. That explains why you can't watch Chloe with that dude, 'cause of your girlfriend." The sarcasm in Amy's voice rivaled Beca's own.

"I'm not discussing this with you." Beca downed her drink and headed to the dance floor. She considered grabbing a girl, any girl, and giving Chloe a taste of her own medicine with a stranger. Instead she walked straight to Chloe and stood with her arms crossed, waiting.

Chloe saw her coming. She turned to face Beca, clearly dismissing her dance partner. She took Beca by her hips and pulled her in, continuing the dance with Beca. They moved together, into each other, to the pulsating thump of the baseline. Beca's arms were loosely around Chloe's neck, her head down, watching their bodies grind together. Chloe was watching Beca watch them dance. Chloe shifted and put her thigh between Beca's legs and Beca didn't miss a beat, sliding up Chloe's thigh, rolling her hips against it. When the song ended and the beat changed, Beca stormed off the floor making for the bar.

Chloe followed her and took her by the arm, turning her. Beca was livid. "What the fuck, Chloe? You tell me you love me and then go do...THAT with some random guy?"

Chloe was nearly as angry. "Yeah, well you tease the fucking shit out of me for years and always leave me hanging."

Beca slammed Chloe into the wall behind her, her hands pinned to her sides. The kiss was bruising, fevered and wet. Beca's tongue was in her mouth so deep she couldn't breathe. Chloe shoved her off and glared at her. "Not here." She grabbed Beca by the wrist and drug her out of the club.


	21. Bella House

When they got back to the Bella House they were both still angry. Once inside, Chloe turned to face Beca, eyes flashing with anger and desire. "So, I guess we're gonna 'talk' now?"

Beca was equally angry and frustrated. "Listen Chloe, I don't know what you expect. I fly out here, leave my girlfriend, thinking I'm going to spend a few days with my bestie and you hit me with all this shit about being in love with me? Why now? You had every opportunity to let me know way before this. Why didn't you? I've wanted you for years and you finally come around when I'm in a relationship? Is that what forced your hand? That I might actually fall for someone else and have a chance to be happy?"

Chloe hit back. "What did I expect? Really? I waited for you forever. You couldn't see what was right in front of you. You were too fucking busy building up your walls so nobody could get in. I got exactly what I 'expected', not a goddamn thing. I'm going to bed." She turned and took the stairs two at a time, slamming her bedroom door shut.

Beca stood frozen. She was breathing heavily, clenching and unclenching her fists. That's when she hit her own turning point. She bounded up the stairs after Chloe, throwing open the bedroom door. They stood staring at each other, both trembling with anger, fear, desire, or some combination of all three. The tension between them, built over years of yearning and frustration, snapped.

Chloe grabbed Beca by the lapels of her jacket, dragging it down over her shoulders and pinning her arms to her sides. She jerked her forward roughly and plunged into a frenzied kiss. Beca wriggled free, fisting auburn locks and dragging her in deeper. They tore clothing off, both already slick with sweat and building hunger.

Chloe shoved Beca onto her bed, holding her down, forcing her hips between Beca's legs as Beca pushed her by her shoulders, turning her head away, trying to gain leverage. Chloe bit her neck, just below her ear, thrusting her hips forward, feeling Beca's need on her thighs. Their mouths collided, fierce, wanton, and wet. Beca moaned into Chloe's mouth and gave in, clawing Chloe's back, her craving out of control.

She felt Chloe drive into her, deep and high, without warning. Beca threw her head back, arching into it, her hips canted forward. She drug nails down Chloe's back, reaching her hips and pulling forward, her own hips rising to meet Chloe's. Her eyes were squeezed shut, sparks beneath her lids. She was panting , drawing ragged breaths, trying not to scream Chloe's name. She couldn't stop the moan that escaped when she felt a thumb tormenting her, circling and sliding as the pressure built between her legs. The sound of it provoked Chloe's passion. She was merciless, thrusting again and again, fingers curling hard into her, pressing upward as she drug them back. Beca was throbbing now, desperate for release.

The sensation of what Chloe was doing to her had reached a tipping point. When Chloe growled into her ear, "Let me have you, Beca," she couldn't hold on any longer. She felt herself clench on Chloe's fingers and her body went taut in Chloe's arms. Her climax crested, then spasms ripped through her as Chloe continued to push into her, drawing her orgasm out until she released Chloe's fingers.

She fell back against the pillows, sweaty and spent, weak all over. Chloe dropped down on top of her, intertwining their hands over Beca's head. She captured Beca's mouth again, demanding entrance, kissing her so deeply, it took her breath away.

When their eyes met, Chloe relaxed her grip and Beca spun her over onto her back. Chloe felt Beca's mouth on her neck, a hand on her breast, squeezing roughly and tweaking her nipple until she gasped. She felt Beca's tongue slide down her neck, sucking soft skin between her teeth and nipping hard. Chloe ran her fingers through silky hair, trying to guide that beautiful mouth where she needed it. She felt a nipple pulled, fevered tongue sliding over it, teeth grazing it before a soft bite. Beca moved to Chloe's stomach, circling her navel then dragging along the tender spots between her hips. Chloe felt her thighs encircled by Beca's arms, felt her legs thrown over shoulders and pushed up and out, opening her.

Chloe fisted the sheets, frantic to anchor herself when Beca's tongue plunged into her, deep and filthy, devouring her. She felt it drag through her, pausing to press, then flick, circle and tease. Chloe moaned deep in her throat, helpless to stop it. It ignited Beca and her tempo increased, urging Chloe closer. When she began to writhe with need, Beca backed off, nearly stopping completely. Chloe groaned, desperate for relief. Beca began again, slowly building her pace and pressure, driving into Chloe, then backing out, circling again and flicking faster, harder. Chloe begged her, pleading for release. She gripped Beca, holding her head in place and felt herself coming undone. Beca plunged into her with two fingers, curling and pressing upward, holding there while her tongue continued to ravage her. Chloe exploded with the power of her climax, her back arched, legs trembling as she held herself open for Beca while her ecstacy pulsed through her.

Beca glided up and laid over her, pressing into a kiss and letting Chloe taste herself on Beca's tongue. They laid together, holding on, while their hearts quieted and their breathing returned to normal.


	22. Finale

Beca's plane landed in LA mid-afternoon the following day. She wasn't expected back until after 5:00pm but managed to catch an earlier flight. The sooner she did what she knew she had to, it would be better for everyone. She pulled her car out of the long-term lot and drove directly to the Residual Heat studio.

"Hey Maggie, is Sammy in?"

"Beca! We didn't expect you in until tomorrow morning. Yeah, Sammy's free, go ahead back, I'll let him know you're on your way."

Beca gave her a small smile and walked down the hall to Sammy's office. When she reached his closed door, she took a deep breath and rapped lightly, entering when she heard his cheery "Come in."

"Hey Reggie, didn't expect to see you this afternoon. How was the reunion?"

"It was, uh, great, actually. That's why I came back early." Sammy looked confused. "I want to transfer back to the Atlanta office."

"What? Why?"

"It's a really long story. But the bottom line is that I reconnected with the love of my life. We've already wasted too many years apart and I won't lose her again. If I can't transfer, I'll resign. I'm going home. I have a flight booked for tomorrow morning."

"I thought Quinn..." he started to say, but Beca shook her head. "Does she know yet?"

"No, that's my next stop."

"What about her EP?"

"She only has to record one more song to complete it. I don't know if she's decided which one yet, but you should be able to help her get it done. The release date is a month away."

"You're assuming she _can_ get it done. This is going to destroy her Beca. You know how unstable artists can be. It could derail her career."

"Quinn's stronger than you think. I'll talk to her about it when I see her."

"It sounds like your mind is made up. I'll have Maggie prepare the transfer paperwork and fax it to Atlanta. Complete it when you get there and fax it back."

"Thanks, Sammy, I owe you. And if you have questions about Quinn's EP, I'm just a phone call away. I'm not completely abandoning the project."

Sammy came around his desk and stuck out his hand. "Take care of yourself, Beca. I'm sure we'll be talking again soon."

Beca took his hand, then pulled him into a hug. "You have no idea what this means to me Sammy. Thanks again." Beca walked to the parking lot and got in her car. As she sat in the driver's seat, she pulled out her phone. She hadn't talked to Quinn in four days, but they hadn't planned to, Quinn insisting that she just take the time for herself and not worry about anything back in LA.

She texted Quinn.

Beca: _Hey, got back earlier than expected. See you in an hour?_

Quinn: _Hey you! So glad you're home! Can't wait to see you!_

Beca: _Yeah, we have a lot to talk about. See you soon._

She pulled up to the gates to Quinn's estate and pushed the buzzer. Within a few seconds the gates were rolling open. She had planned how she was going to handle this on her flight back to LA. She would be honest, of course, but she wanted to be as gentle as she could.

She had never planned to hurt Quinn, but then she had never expected to be _with_ Quinn, let alone to have Quinn fall in love with her. She had never told Quinn that she loved her. She had felt it, or thought she had, but she had never said it. Not that it mattered now.

She tried to rationalize that since she hadn't emotionally committed to Quinn, that she hadn't cheated on her. She knew that was bullshit, she had cheated, she was just trying to make herself feel better about what had happened.

She parked in front of the house, then walked to the door and rang the bell. She was surprised when Quinn answered. Quinn gathered her up into her arms, head buried in the crook of her neck. Beca wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck, holding her tight and squeezing her eyes shut so she wouldn't start crying right then.

"God, I missed you," Quinn whispered into her ear.

"Missed you too," Beca replied. She meant it, but it wouldn't be enough to change her mind.

"Want a glass of wine?" Quinn asked her as they walked to the kitchen. Beca sat in a stool at the island, trying to decide how to begin.

"Sure, that'd be great." She watched Quinn as she chose a bottle from the rack, trying to commit the moment to her memory. She knew when it was all done, there was a very real possibility she would never see Quinn again. Quinn beamed at her as she poured their wine. Beca had to look away and blink back tears that were already trying to form.

"So, tell me about the reunion. Did you guys have fun?"

"Yeah, we did." Beca hesitated and Quinn realized something wasn't right.

"Did something happen? You're okay right?"

"Quinn, please sit down, we need to talk."

Quinn took a seat on the stool beside her, facing Beca, concern all over her face. Beca took both her hands and looked into those deep, beautiful brown eyes. Eyes that had been filled with pain when they met. Pain she had seen disappear when Quinn fell in love with her. Now she was going to cause that pain to come back, probably worse than it had been before they met. She took a deep breath.

"Quinn..I, uh, I cheated on you while I was gone. I'm so sorry."

Quinn just looked at her. She didn't move, didn't say anything. She just held Beca's gaze. Finally she spoke, "We can work through it."

"No, Quinn, we can't. You don't understand. I'm in love with someone else. I've loved her for years, it's just that our timing was bad. I'm moving back to Atlanta to be with her."

Quinn closed her eyes. Beca began to cry then, silently, tears rolling down her face as she watched Quinn, her Quinn, devolve into what she had been before they met. She still held Quinn's hands in her own and when Quinn finally looked up, she let Beca's hands drop. Quinn cupped Beca's face, brushing away her tears with her thumbs. She held Beca like that for a moment more then said, "Tell me everything."

It was dark in the house by the time Beca finished telling Quinn everything that had happened. She had started from the beginning, not leaving anything unsaid. Quinn had listened to her quietly, never once interupting, not even to ask a question. Beca had cried through most of it. At the end she said, "Quinn, I care about you, deeply, and I'm so sorry I've hurt you like this."

Quinn took a breath. "Will you stay with me tonight?" Beca knew it wasn't sexual. She felt one more night together was the least she could do for Quinn. "Yes, I'll stay."

They walked to Quinn's bedroom and laid on the big bed underneath the skylight, fully clothed. Beca curled into her, her head on Quinn's chest, an arm around her waist. Quinn laid on her back, staring at the stars above them, holding Beca close. She placed a tender kiss on Beca's forehead, breathing her in. They didn't talk, nor did either of them sleep. They just laid together like that, holding on to what had been, both trying to let go.

A month later, Beca was in her office in Atlanta when an email came through from Sammy.

 _'Thought you might want to listen to this'_ was all it said. Attached was an electronic copy of Quinn's EP, scheduled to drop the following day.

Beca got up, shut and locked her office door. She turned out the lights and plugged her headphones into her laptop. She felt she owed it to Quinn to listen to it all the way through. When she got to the final song, the one Sammy had produced, a lump rose in her throat, her eyes filled and overflowed. Quinn had titled the EP "Soundtrack of My Love".

She heard Quinn's low familiar alto singing:

 _Turn down the lights,_

 _Turn down the bed_

 _Turn down these voices_

 _inside my head_

 _Lay down with me,_

 _Tell me no lies_

 _Just hold me close,_

 _Don't patronize_

 _Dont' patronize me_

 _'Cause I can't make you love me_

 _if you don't_

 _You can't make your heart feel_

 _something it won't_

 _Here in the dark_

 _in these final hours_

 _I will lay down my heart_

 _and I'll feel the power_

 _But you won't,_

 _No, you won't_

 _'Cause I can't make you love me_

 _if you don't_

 _I'll close my eyes,_

 _then I won't see_

 _the love you don't feel_

 _when you're holding me_

 _Morning will come_

 _and I'll do what's right_

 _Just give me 'til then_

 _to give up this fight_

 _and I will give up this fight_

 _'Cause I can't make you love me_

 _if you don't_

 _You can't make your heart feel_

 _something it won't_

 _Here in the dark_

 _in these final hours_

 _I will lay down my heart_

 _and I'll feel the power_

 _But you won't,_

 _No, you won't_

 _'Cause I can't make you love me_

 _if you don't_

 _End_

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I Can't Make You Love Me - sung by Bonnie Raitt; written by Reid, Shamblin; produced by Raitt, Was

A/N: Thanks for reading. Your reviews and comments are appreciated. Let me know if you'd like a sequel to this story, or any other ideas/thoughts you may have. Thanks again, especially to my muse.


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